Troy Ave Seen Firing Back During Alleged Attempted Robbery Of His Friend

Following his release from Rikers Island in August of last year, Troy Ave is back in the headlines this week after footage surfaced showing him opening fire during an attempted robbery targeting his friend, celebrity chef Geoff Cole.

In the video, which Cole shared on social media, the two are seen stepping out of a Bentley in San Diego, when a masked man appears from behind them in an alley and lunges at Cole. As soon as the attacker tackled the chef, he pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots in the man’s direction, careful to avoid hitting Cole in the process.

The suspect fled, running down the alley, and unclear if pierced by any of the bullets.

Cole shared the footage on Monday (July 15), explaining in his caption that the incident actually went down in June but he chose now to speak out. He thanked Troy for having his back in what could’ve easily turned into a tragic night.

“I came home after Celebrating the success of a sold out Chef Fest with Love & support from all over the West Coast! And a hater from the SAME CITY tried 2 take it all away! This the 2nd time but it WON’T be a 3rd!” Cole captioned the clip. “s/o 2 my BROTHER Ave for Holding it Down in a situation where most woulda RAN or FOLDED.”

He added, “I’ll never let the hate stop Me from showing LOVE! Ima keep giving artists OPPORTUNITIES & PLATFORMS, Ima Keep Gettin MONEY And the ONLY thing im doing different now, is taking this SHOW ON THE ROAD.”

For many, the video showed exactly the kind of loyalty they expect from Troy, who’s no stranger to high-stakes situations involving firearms. The 38-year-old rapper, best known for his track “All About the Money,” has had a complicated history with gun violence and the legal system.

Last year, Troy came home after serving time for his role in the 2016 shooting at New York’s Irving Plaza — a night that ended with the tragic death of his friend and bodyguard, Ronald “Banga” McPhatter. That shooting, which started as a gun struggle between Troy Ave and podcast host-turned-rap rival, Taxstone, spiraled into chaos inside the venue.

Troy ultimately pled guilty to second-degree attempted criminal possession of a weapon. He was sentenced to one year in prison in February 2024 but only served about six months, thanks to time previously spent in custody. When he walked out of Rikers last year, Troy marked his return in a flashy fashion — posing in front of a red Lamborghini with a bag of money and a box of top-shelf liquor, captioning the photo, “Ya Boi Home!!”

Before heading into his sentencing last year, he told fans on Instagram, “Somebody shot at me, and instead of laying down and dying, I took the gun and bust back.” He added that he wasn’t interested in playing the victim, saying, “We don’t cry over spilt milk. We take the lemons and make lemonade. God is great, and the paper’s straight.”

Now, just a year after that statement, it looks like Troy Ave is still standing on the same principle.

See the shocking clip above.