An 18-year-old named Buba Kolly was fatally shot on November 18, 2023, while he and a friend were returning from a gas station in Jacksonville, Florida. The shooting happened inside their car on Bowden Road near Interstate 95; Kolly died at the scene and his friend was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Family members described the heavy toll the loss has taken. His mother, Fanta Kolly, said she has been crying every day and unable to eat since learning of her son’s death. His sister, Mary Brown, said the family was in shock and had to identify him from a photograph at the morgue. Brown noted Buba’s plans to finish high school and to work toward becoming a merchant seaman, and recalled his recent help with her move.

There are no publicly reported suspects or arrests in the case. The family and Jacksonville authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office or First Coast Crime Stoppers; tips may be eligible for cash rewards and can be submitted anonymously. Did anyone in the Jacksonville area see or hear anything on Bowden Road near I-95 on November 18 that could help investigators?