Since the start of the school year, two shootings have occurred at JCPS bus stops. They both happened on separate days, but the locations were in general proximity to each other.
Around 8:07 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7, two 15-year-olds fired from the middle of the road toward a JCPS bus stop. This happened on West Chestnut and 10th Streets, a block away from both Central High School and Coleridge-Taylor Montessori Elementary School.
Citizens told WHAS11 that students were boarding the bus only feet from where the shots were fired.
The suspects were arrested by LMPD’s First Division, with support from the Criminal Interdiction Division. Both face 33 counts of first-degree wanton endangerment and one suspect is facing a count of possession of a handgun by a minor, second offense.
Then, around 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 13, a second shooting occurred at another bus stop. A woman who was walking with her small child was shot. The woman was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital downtown and was pronounced dead. The child was uninjured. This occurred at 10th and Chestnut streets, near Coleridge-Taylor Montessori Elementary School.
LMPD officers had been patrolling the area each day after the first shooting, but decided on Wednesday not to be present because they “thought the conflict was over with,” LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey said.
The suspect is not connected to the first shooting. A 15-year-old, who was involved in the Aug. 7 incident, was initially questioned, but was shortly released after being proven innocent. The suspect has still not been found, but LMPD believes that the attack was targeted due to the lack of any other victims.
Responding to the shootings, JCPS Violence Prevention and the JCPS Police Department worked closely to come up with a solution to protect the over 40,000 bus stops in the district to ensure student safety before, during and after school transportation.
“In response to recent incidents, both the JCPS Police Department and LMPD have increased their presence at the specific bus stop and in the surrounding area,” JCPS Chief Communications Officer Carolyn Callahan said. “This increased presence is a direct measure to ensure student safety and deter future incidents. The JCPS Violence Prevention team has also been at the bus stop each morning to support families and students.”
In reaction to the shooting on Aug. 13, hundreds of people met at the King Solomon Missionary Baptist Church for a community meeting on Monday, Aug. 18. Members from the Metro Council, Mayor Craig Greenberg’s office and LMPD attended the meeting.
Speakers offered possible solutions to reduce the amount of youth violence and asked the crowd to share any information about the shooting. Some of the speakers included Louisville Metro Police Chief Paul Humphrey, Lyndon Pryor, president of the Louisville Urban League, District 4 councilwoman Tammy Hawkins, and James Linton, president and founder of Community Connections Group.
JCPS also offers a tip line for families, students and staff to use in case of unethical, illegal or unsafe activity.
“The safety of our students and staff is paramount. JCPS has both proactive and reactive protocols in place, with trained teams ready to respond immediately to any situation,” Callahan said.
