Jacksonville rapper Lil Poppa’s funeral set for March 7, 2026: service time, location, and safety context
Funeral details announced for Jacksonville native Janarious “Lil Poppa” Wheeler
Funeral arrangements have been set for Jacksonville rapper and songwriter Janarious Mykel Wheeler, known professionally as Lil Poppa. The service is scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 2026, at 10 a.m. at Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church on West Beaver Street in Jacksonville.
Lil Poppa died on February 18, 2026, in Fulton County, Georgia, at age 25. The Fulton County Medical Examiner reported the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the head and later released a press report documenting the autopsy findings. Wheeler was born March 18, 2000, and built a national profile from Jacksonville through a run of mixtapes and albums that expanded his audience beyond Northeast Florida.
Career milestones and recent release
Wheeler rose to broader recognition with the “Under Investigation” mixtape series and later released projects that charted nationally. He signed with Interscope Records and later joined Collective Music Group (CMG), an imprint affiliated with Yo Gotti. In the days before his death, he released new music, including the single “Out of Town Bae” on February 13, 2026.
- Service date: Saturday, March 7, 2026
- Time: 10:00 a.m.
- Location: Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church, 1118 W. Beaver St., Jacksonville, Florida
Public safety concerns after violence at a memorial gathering
The funeral announcement comes as law enforcement continues investigating a shooting that occurred at a memorial gathering in Jacksonville tied to the artist. Police reported that four people were shot at that event, and investigators sought public assistance in identifying a suspect. The incident underscored longstanding public-safety challenges surrounding large, high-profile gatherings, particularly those connected to major figures in the city’s music scene.
Anyone attending public memorial events is urged to follow venue guidance, allow extra time for security screening, and report suspicious activity immediately to authorities.
What attendees should know
Organizers have not publicly released a detailed schedule of related events such as visitation times in the same announcement that listed the service. For attendees, the most reliable planning assumptions are that traffic near the church may be heavier than normal and that security measures could be increased given the recent memorial shooting. Residents planning to attend should also consider parking limitations and the possibility of additional instructions being issued closer to March 7.
Lil Poppa’s death has drawn tributes across hip-hop, reflecting a career that connected Jacksonville’s local rap ecosystem to a national audience while keeping his identity rooted in the city where he was raised.