Frenicka Craig Obituary, Death – A tragic shooting disrupted a basketball game at Sage Park in Mobile, Alabama, on Thursday night, leaving one woman dead and another man injured. The incident unfolded in the middle of a large public gathering, sending shockwaves through the community and prompting calls for stronger safety measures at city parks.
According to Mobile Police Chief William Jackson, multiple gunshots were fired during the event, creating chaos among the crowd. Authorities believe the victims were not the intended targets but rather innocent bystanders caught in a senseless act of violence.
“This kind of violence is unacceptable, no matter who was involved or how old they were,” said Chief Jackson during a press briefing. “This should never happen in a public park where people are just trying to enjoy a game.”
The woman who lost her life in the shooting has been identified as Frenicka Craig. Friends and community members are remembering her not only for her athletic talent but also for her warmth and uplifting personality. Kirven Lang Jr., a local basketball scout, first met Frenicka when she was in middle school. Even then, she was already making a name for herself in the city’s basketball scene, with standout performances that hinted at a promising future on the court.
“She was always smiling and easy to talk to,” Lang said. “People naturally gravitated toward her. It wasn’t just about basketball—she had a personality that lit up any room.”
Frenicka graduated from Vigor High School in 2015 and went on to play two seasons of college basketball, including her final season at Faulkner State Community College. Just two weeks before her death, she had started a new job at Austal alongside Lang.
“She should’ve been getting ready for work the next morning,” he said. “The news of her death was absolutely devastating, not just because she was a former athlete I knew, but because she was genuinely a kind-hearted person.”
As the Mobile Police Department continues its investigation, no suspects have been identified yet. One man who was also shot is recovering in the hospital, though his condition has not been made public.
The lack of video footage of the incident has complicated the investigation. Chief Jackson confirmed that although there was a police-owned camera at Sage Park, it was positioned too far from the scene to capture the shooting. Additionally, cameras near the basketball court—maintained by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department—were not operational at the time of the shooting.
“The camera we have at the park works and can stream live footage, but it didn’t capture the actual shooting due to its distance,” Jackson explained. “Unfortunately, the cameras near the court, which belong to Parks and Recreation, either weren’t working properly or failed to save the footage.”
In response to the incident, the city of Mobile released a statement clarifying the current status of surveillance in city parks. According to the city, the Police Department maintains one functioning camera at Sage Park that allows for real-time monitoring. However, the cameras closer to the basketball court failed due to either malfunction or improper storage of footage. The Parks and Recreation Department is now investigating the technical issues and working to evaluate all cameras at their facilities.
The statement also noted that as of December 2024, Public Safety has been working to take over the maintenance of all surveillance systems at city facilities. The goal is to ensure cameras are not only operational but also accessible in real time to law enforcement, with all footage saved in a centralized system. So far, around 30 upgraded cameras have been installed in various parks throughout Mobile as part of this broader initiative, and more installations are expected in the near future.
As investigators continue working to uncover the events that led to Thursday night’s shooting, Chief Jackson emphasized that additional officers will be deployed to Sage Park to help restore a sense of security in the area.
“We will be increasing our presence at the park in the coming days,” he stated. “And we’re asking the public—if anyone has any information about what happened, please come forward. Your help could be crucial to solving this case.”
In the meantime, the local community continues to grieve the loss of Frenicka Craig, a young woman remembered as much for her energy and kindness as for her achievements on the basketball court. Lang summed up what many who knew her are feeling: “She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It hurts even more when someone like her—an innocent person who had so much life left to live—is taken away.”
With renewed focus on public safety and community support, city officials hope to prevent such tragedies from recurring. But for now, Mobile mourns the loss of a bright soul whose life was cut short in a moment of chaos and violence.
