The sources close to the family of late Abubacarr Darboe, the 21-year-old Gambian immigrant killed in a shooting Saturday night in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, believe the brothers were mistaken for someone else by the suspected shooters.
Abubacarr Darboe was fatally shot just after 10:30 p.m. on December 20 in the 3500 block of Portage Road. He was with two of his brothers at the time. Modou Lamin Darboe was wounded and later discharged after a brief hospitalization in stable condition, while Abdoukarim Darboe escaped physical injury. Family sources say the Darboe brothers did not know the suspected shooters and had no prior conflict or connection to them.
“They were targeted by mistake,” a family source told The Alkamba Times. “The brothers had no beef with anyone. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and someone mistook them for someone else. This makes the tragedy even harder to bear.”
The Madison Police Department recovered a firearm and multiple shell casings at the scene and continues to investigate the homicide. Authorities have not publicly confirmed the mistaken-identity theory or identified any suspects. Police have urged anyone with information to contact them at (608) 255-2345 or Madison Area Crime Stoppers at (608) 266-6014 for anonymous tips.
Prominent Gambian-American leader and former Wisconsin State Representative Samba Baldeh expressed deep sorrow over the loss.
“Last night, Madison lost a young life in a senseless act of gun violence,” Baldeh said. “Abubacarr Darboe, a Gambian native, was killed while with two of his siblings—one is currently hospitalized with gunshot wounds and another who, by God’s grace, was not physically harmed. One family is now shattered, and an entire community is grieving.”
Baldeh highlighted Darboe’s bright future and the broader crisis of gun violence. Family and friends deeply loved Abubacarr, and all those he crossed paths with, and he was a young man on the verge of graduating next May. His future mattered,” he said. “This tragedy is also a painful reminder of the crisis we continue to face with gun violence and the easy access to guns in our communities. Too many young lives are being cut short. Too many parents are burying children. This is unacceptable.”
He called for action. “As a community and as leaders, we must do better. We must be serious about prevention, accountability, and protecting our kids so that no more families endure this kind of loss.”
Baldeh offered prayers for Darboe’s family, the recovering brother, and the Gambian community in Madison. “May Abubacarr’s soul rest in perfect peace, and may his memory strengthen our resolve to act.”
The Gambian community in Madison has begun providing support for the family, who continue to request privacy as they grieve.
