MOBILE, Ala. — Two months after a stray bullet struck her in the head as she sat in her car outside her Rickarby Street home, Genade Colley is about to see her city turn out for her.
Friends, neighbors and supporters are gathering Sunday, Sept. 27, for a benefit event at Kazoola Courtyard in downtown Mobile to help the 51-year-old with the ongoing costs and challenges of her recovery. The afternoon carries a simple message: “Surround Genade with Love & Hope.”
Event details
- What: Benefit and community gathering for Genade Colley
- When: Sunday, Sept. 27, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Where: Kazoola Courtyard, 558 Dauphin St., downtown Mobile
- Host: DJ Dirty Dan
- Music: DJ Rod Ski, performing as “The Mothership,” and a live performance by Southern soul vocalist Kai Darby
- Donations: Accepted at the door, with proceeds going directly to Colley
- Can’t attend? Digital donation options, including Cash App, Zelle and a Meal Train page, have been set up to support her recovery fund
The night of July 22
The events that led to Sunday’s gathering began late on the night of Wednesday, July 22. Colley had just returned home from a birthday celebration and was sitting in her car outside her house on Rickarby Street when gunfire erupted nearby. An estimated 100 rounds were fired during the incident. One of those bullets struck Colley in the head.
Mobile police have described her as an innocent victim, a person who had nothing to do with whatever led to the shooting. Investigators believe minors may have been involved in firing the shots.
Colley spent weeks in intensive care, facing serious medical hurdles and extensive physical injuries. A recent surgery went well and allowed her to return home for a time, but her recovery remains fluid and challenging. Surviving a severe gunshot wound is rarely the end of the story; for many survivors it marks the beginning of months of rehabilitation, follow-up care and day-to-day adjustments that extend far beyond the initial emergency treatment.
The investigation remains open
The Mobile Police Department has confirmed that the investigation into the July 22 shooting remains active, and investigators are still searching for the person responsible.
Earlier this month, police announced a $2,500 cash reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those involved in two shootings in the 500 block of Rickarby Street. The first was the July 22 shooting that wounded Colley. The second happened on Sunday, Sept. 13, when gunfire struck multiple vehicles and a home; no injuries were reported in that incident.
In announcing the reward, Mobile Police Chief William Jackson urged anyone with knowledge of the shootings to come forward. “Someone knows more about these shootings than we’re being told, and it’s vital they step up and do the right thing by coming forward with information,” Jackson said. “Please don’t assume that your tip is too small to matter. Your information could be the missing piece that our investigators need to solve these cases.”
Anyone with information about the night of July 22 is asked to contact the Mobile Police Department or Crime Stoppers. Crime Stoppers allows tipsters to share information anonymously.
A street that has seen too much gunfire
Colley’s shooting was not the only one on her block this year. Residents of Rickarby Street have spoken publicly about living with repeated gunfire. After the Sept. 13 shooting, neighbors described bullet holes in homes and cars and said they have changed the way they live, from where they park to which rooms they sleep in.
Colley herself has become part of that conversation. Her home security camera recorded video of a later round of gunfire on the street, footage that showed how the violence has continued even as she has worked to heal.
Mobile police have said officers are patrolling the area on foot and by vehicle and continuing to talk with residents in the 500 block of Rickarby Street as the investigations continue.
From violence to resilience
Sunday’s benefit is meant to shift the focus from the violence of July to the resilience of a survivor. Organizers see the gathering as a chance for Mobile to show up for a neighbor who is still facing life after trauma, offering both practical and emotional support.
The money collected at the door will go directly to Colley to help with her ongoing needs. For survivors of serious injuries, those needs can include medical bills, prescription costs, transportation to appointments, therapy, and the basic expenses of daily life during a period when working may not be possible.
The event’s lineup reflects the downtown music scene. DJ Dirty Dan will host the afternoon, with DJ Rod Ski spinning as “The Mothership” and a special live performance by Southern soul vocalist Kai Darby. Kazoola, on Dauphin Street in the heart of downtown Mobile’s entertainment district, has an open-air courtyard well suited to an afternoon gathering of this kind.
Other ways to help
Not everyone who wants to support Colley will be able to make it downtown on Sunday afternoon. For those people, organizers have set up several digital options:
- Cash App and Zelle donations to her recovery fund
- A Meal Train page, which allows supporters to sign up to provide meals as she recovers at home
Meal trains have become a common way for communities to help people who are recovering from illness or injury. Instead of a single large gift, a meal train spreads support over weeks, making sure a person and their household have one less thing to worry about on hard days.
As with any online fundraiser, supporters are encouraged to make sure they are using the official donation channels shared by Colley’s family and event organizers.
The larger conversation about gun violence in Mobile
Mobile has seen a number of community efforts this year aimed at the broader problem of gun violence. Among them have been Project Wear Orange: Mobile Community Takes a Stand Against Gun Violence, HALO Violence Prevention Training, and a community candlelight vigil in honor of Chyna Emoni Hickman.
Those efforts address the scope of violence across the city. Colley’s story highlights a part of that picture that often gets less attention: what happens after the headlines fade. When a shooting victim survives, public attention tends to move on quickly. For the survivor and their family, the work of recovery continues for months, and sometimes for years.
That is the reality Sunday’s event is meant to recognize. The gathering is not only a fundraiser; it is also a way for neighbors, friends and strangers to let Colley know that her community has not forgotten her.
If you go
The benefit runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Kazoola Courtyard, 558 Dauphin St. Donations will be accepted at the door. Downtown parking is available on the street and in nearby lots and garages, so visitors may want to allow a few extra minutes to find a space.
Anyone with information about the July 22 shooting on Rickarby Street is asked to call the Mobile Police Department or contact Crime Stoppers. Even a small detail could help investigators bring the case to a close, and bring some measure of justice to a woman whose only mistake was sitting in her own car, outside her own home, at the wrong moment.
Update: Surgery for seizures, and a community that showed up
Updated Sept. 28, 2026
Genade Colley is now back at home recovering after undergoing surgery on Tuesday, Sept. 22, to help control seizures caused by the July shooting, according to friends and family. The procedure is one more step in what those closest to her describe as a long road ahead.
Sunday’s benefit at Kazoola Courtyard went on as planned, drawing friends, local DJs and community members who came to help with her mounting medical and recovery expenses. Organizers said the gathering was about more than money: they also wanted to raise awareness of gun violence in Mobile.
Friends shared new details about Colley’s life before the shooting. Reggie Henderson, known locally as DJ Oktoba, said she had only recently overcome another serious health battle. “Genade is such a sweet person. She recently beat cancer, and she was shot in the head in her driveway. Police still have not found out who was responsible,” Henderson said.
Colley works as the office manager at Albert Franklin OD & Associates, and her absence has been felt there. “She’s an amazing friend that’s turned into family,” said Tina Franklin of the practice. “So it’s been pretty tough there, but I’m looking forward [for her] to get back and bounce back and come on back home. We really wanted to show her our support, and wanted the community to show their support as well.”
Sherry McVade, general manager of Kazoola, said the event was meant to remind people how close gun violence can come to anyone. “One of the reasons that we wanted to have it was to make sure that people were knowledgeable of the fact that what happened to her can happen to anyone,” McVade said. “We hate that we’re having gun violence in our community, and you know, especially when it touched close to home.”
Investigators have said roughly 100 rounds were fired on the night Colley was wounded, and bullets also struck a nearby home, though no one inside was hurt. No arrest has been made, and police believe minors may have been involved. Colley’s friends say every donation, meal and prayer continues to make a difference.
The Mobile Police Department’s $2,500 cash reward for information leading to an arrest in the recent Rickarby Street shootings remains in effect. Anyone with information is asked to contact Mobile police or Crime Stoppers.