LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB) — Friends and community leaders are mourning the loss of a 16-year-old boy who was found shot to death Tuesday afternoon in Louisville's Park DuValle neighborhood.
Louisville Metro Police said officers responded to a field in the 3600 block of Bohne Avenue after a body was found behind Carter Elementary School. Police said the teen was dead and had suffered an apparent gunshot wound.
The victim was later identified Wednesday by his mother as 16-year-old Alfred Smith.
Smith, known to many at Southwick Community Center by his nickname "Junie Man," spent much of his free time at the center, where staff members said he was known for his outgoing personality and love of basketball.
The community center is about a mile from where Smith lived. Staff members said he frequently spent time in the gym and computer room and was often surrounded by friends.
"A lot of basketball," said Albert Brown, who works at the center. "If you see Junie Man, he had three to five people around him."
News of Smith's death spread quickly through the neighborhood Tuesday, with some children learning about the shooting before staff members at the community center.
When employees were called into a meeting and informed that Smith had been killed, they said the room fell silent.
"So immediately it just got quiet in the room," Brown said. "Everybody was just like, 'it can't be true.'"
Brown said the loss has been devastating for both employees and the young people who spend time at the center. Counselors were discussed as a resource for children struggling to process what happened.
"This hit us hard," Brown said. "This hit us hard as a staff."
Metro Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins said Smith came from a large family and was heavily involved in community programs.
"I'm asking for answers," Hawkins said.
Hawkins said she plans to stay in close contact with the detectives investigating the case and urged anyone with information to come forward.
"It's truly disheartening," Hawkins said. "If you've seen something, say something. One day, this could be your child."
Smith's death is the latest fatal shooting involving a child or teenager in Louisville. According to the Louisville Metro Gun Violence Dashboard, 13 children and teens have been fatally shot in the city so far this year.
Recent cases include a 14-year-old girl who was shot and killed alongside her mother in Louisville's Portland neighborhood on June 2, and two teenagers who were fatally shot by another teen in the Park Hill neighborhood in March.
The city's Gun Violence Dashboard, launched in 2023, tracks shootings in Louisville using data dating back to 2010. The public database allows users to sort incidents by neighborhood, year, crime type and ZIP code. City officials and Louisville Metro Police use the information to help guide staffing and resource decisions.
Louisville Metro Police's Homicide Unit is investigating Smith's death. No arrests have been announced.
Anyone with information is asked to call LMPD's anonymous Crime Tip Line at 502-574-LMPD (5673) or submit a tip through the department's online Crime Tip Portal.
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