A 12-year-old boy was struck by a bullet on Monday night in Troy in a drive-by shooting and may be paralyzed. Now, local business owners are coming together to help the family and share what they think needs to change in the city.

"When we heard MJ was shot, and this is a tragedy beyond belief, we knew that there had to be something that we could do," said Howard Gross, owner of Iron Works Grill in Troy.

Gross opened his business two months into the pandemic last year, and says people have been so supportive that he felt compelled to give back. So on Monday, Iron Works is hosting a drive-through barbecue fundraiser.

"There's a lot of excitement on our social media for this and people are liking it and sharing it, but likes and shares don't put money in the bank," Gross said. "That family needs money in the bank. There's going to be transportation issues, home renovation issues, bathroom issues, all sorts of things that need to happen, and that's going to take cash."

Inside Iron Works, there are jars collecting money for MJ, too. Gross says so many other businesses have stepped forward to donate supplies. They're also going to offer a drive-through hot dog lunch option.

"This is Troy strong," Gross said.

Someone who knows this feeling well is Tony Buchanan, owner of Jimmy's Pizzeria. He's across town in Lansingburgh, where 11-year-old Ayshawn Davis used to help out around his shop. Davis was killed in a drive-by shooting last summer.

"It's a little different for me with MJ because I don't have that emotional connection with him, but it's still an innocent boy who had nothing to do with anything," Buchanan said. "Yeah, he's still alive and he's going to live, but with the chance of him being paralyzed the rest of his life, his life got derailed."

Buchanan says the senseless violence in Troy needs to stop.

"As a citizen in our neighborhood, I just don't understand it," Buchanan said. "What are they benefitting from this?"

Buchanan is chairman of Neighborhood Watch in Lansingburgh. He says COVID-19 derailed some of the progress his group and the other neighborhoods across the city were starting to make, but there's a solution that could help.

"My personal opinion, and many people's opinions in our city, especially in our neighborhood, is we need more police," Buchanan said.

Buchanan is glad MJ is going to pull through.

"He can still be somebody. It's not like his life is over, but a lot of options are out the window for him now because of another senseless shooting in our city," he said.

Iron Works is asking anyone who wants a meal on Monday to order ahead online so they don't run out. They're serving Helmbold's Hot Dogs from noon to 3 p.m. and barbecue chicken dinners from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. for $10 each.

Red Front and Hot Crispy Oil are also donating to the event. All proceeds go to the Rivera family.

To order meals ahead, or to make a donation, visit here.

If you'd like to donate to the family's GoFundMe, that can be found here.