Geoff Rickly, singer of on-hiatus post-hardcore band Thursday, was robbed at gunpoint.
He lost his “iPad, iPhone, passport, wallet, cards, rent money in cash (long story). Also my medicine for intense medical treatments,” he wrote on Twitter. He was also forced to withdraw money at an ATM, according to one report. But friends and kind redditors are doing what they can to track down the thief, tracking the perpetrator’s shiny new Instagram account.
Rickly, 34, posted a series of tweets about the Brooklyn incident, thanking family, friends, and fans for their support.
So just to give the whole story:Walking home from the train to my place I was robbed.
— Geoffrey Rickly (@GeoffRickly) June 5, 2013
Taken at gunpoint: iPad, iPhone, passport, wallet, cards, rent money in cash(long story).Also my medicine for intense medical treatments.
— Geoffrey Rickly (@GeoffRickly) June 5, 2013
I’m one of many Americans who lives frugally and happily from paycheck to paycheck. This has been well documented in the past.
— Geoffrey Rickly (@GeoffRickly) June 5, 2013
I haven’t asked anyone to help me with this except for the police.My friends and family have been there for me to the fullest.
— Geoffrey Rickly (@GeoffRickly) June 5, 2013
A number of kind and generous souls have elected to make donations to my bandcamp, for one reason or another.Unexpected, unsolicited…
— Geoffrey Rickly (@GeoffRickly) June 5, 2013
In a particularly difficult time in my life(brutal year), a potentially devastating event has shown me so much compassion, love and humanity
— Geoffrey Rickly (@GeoffRickly) June 5, 2013
I feel very lucky, indeed.Thank you.xx
— Geoffrey Rickly (@GeoffRickly) June 5, 2013
Indeed, redditors offered donations through Rickly’s Bandcamp page, where he offered several new songs as free downloads in November.
“Thanks, everyone. I’m safe. I only lost possessions (hell, most of mine),” he wrote on Facebook. “But I still have the city, the summer, the sun, the simplicity of friends, a feeling and a fucking ‘nother day alive.”
Some redditors weren’t willing to stop at offering aid to the frontman. They wanted to track down the thief. A redditor and apparent Thursday fan, hatethejess, pointed out the robber had neglected to disconnect Rickly’s Facebook account from the iPhone before joining Instagram.
Screenshot via hatethejess/Reddit
While the thief (Rickly confirmed it was the perp) has yet to post any photos to the account, the redditors were hoping to track that person down via the profile photo. The person has not been identified as yet, though some redditors are suggesting asking Instagram and parent company Facebook for location data, asking Apple for help in tracing the phone, and reaching out to the media.
Photo via docebt/Reddit
Even amid his own misfortune, Rickly is offering his help to a fan involved in the Turkey protests.
@miss__nd Pinar, I’m always on the side of parks over malls(people over power).I’m following the news. What can I do?
— Geoffrey Rickly (@GeoffRickly) June 5, 2013
He retweeted several messages regarding the Occupy Turkey movement from that same person. Props to him: It’s impressive that a guy who’s just gone through his own troubling experience will still help out others in dire straits.
Photo via Fuse/YouTube
