Family, friends, and the Gambian community gathered in Madison today to lay to rest 22-year-old Abubacarr “Buba” Darboe, the promising Gambian immigrant killed in a drive-by shooting last weekend.
Darboe was fatally shot on December 20, just after 10:30 p.m., in the 3500 block of Portage Road during what authorities described as a targeted attack from another vehicle. He was riding with two brothers; one was wounded and has since recovered, while the third escaped injury. Family sources maintain the brothers were mistaken for someone else, with no known connection to the shooters.
A standout soccer player at Madison East High School and a Vanderbilt University student set to graduate in May with a degree in economics, Darboe was remembered as ambitious, kind, and community-oriented.
As mourners paid final respects, the Madison Police Department announced progress in the investigation. Two persons of interest have been identified and are in custody, though no charges related to the homicide have been filed as of the latest update. The investigation remains ongoing, with police recovering evidence, including a firearm and shell casings.
Former Wisconsin State Representative Samba Baldeh, a prominent Gambian-American leader, reiterated his grief and call for action.
“Madison lost a young life in a senseless act of gun violence,” Baldeh said. “Abubacarr Darboe was deeply loved… a young man on the verge of graduating next May. His future mattered.”
Baldeh decried easy access to guns, stating, “Too many young lives are being cut short… This is unacceptable. We must be serious about prevention, accountability, and protecting our kids.”
He offered prayers for the family and community, urging Darboe’s memory to “strengthen our resolve to act.”
