LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- People in the Crescent Hill Neighborhood are working together to denounce gun violence after a shooting in Louisville left two dead and others injured.

Six people were shot early Sunday morning at Southern Restaurant and Lounge in downtown Louisville. Police said around 200-300 people were in the area at the time of the shooting.

A vigil and call to action took place at Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church Sunday evening. More than a dozen people gathered with musicians, educators and mental health counselors.

"We're just trying to figure out a way for people to get involved," said Soni Castleberry. "The feeling like 'oh no, not again.'"

Two people have died and another five were hurt after a shooting outside Southern Restaurant and Lounge. One of the people was hurt in a fall.

"I've heard people say this happened in the 3 a.m. time slot," Castleberry said. "It happened at a bar or restaurant bar, what were people doing? Out at that time? To me, that's not the issue. The issue is the guns."

Castleberry helped organized Guns to Gardens Louisville several months ago. The group meets every month to advocate for greater mental health care and gun control.

"The louder we band together with one voice, the louder we are going to be," a woman said to the crowd at the vigil.

SOUTHERN SHOOTING

A vigil was held at Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church after a shooting in Louisville on Aug. 27, 2023.

Guns to Gardens promotes safe gun storage, violence prevention and safe neighborhoods. The group turns donated guns into garden tools and jewelry. 

"We want to do what we can to try to lessen this," Castleberry said.

The meetings led by Guns to Gardens facilitate hard conversations, along with sending prayers to families impacted by gun violence.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to those family members who have lost somebody and those people who have been shot in their families because the violence and the trauma is passed on and it devastates families," a man said to the crowd at the vigil.

The group plans to contact state legislators and Louisville Metro Council members.

"Every single day we lose some of our population to gun violence, and politicians want to tell us, oh we will take care of that,'" Soni's husband Brad said. "We will make stiffer laws and put them in prison. We've also known prison does nothing to deter crime. It's not going to solve the problem. It's going to take a change of attitude and going back to our organizations that work at grassroots levels with individuals. They can make a difference," another man said to the crowd at the vigil.

Moms Demand Action was also present at the vigil. For more information about Moms Demand Action, you can text the word "ready" to 64433.

Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call the LMPD tip line at 502-574-LMPD (5673) or access the online crime tip portal by clicking here.

LMPD does not have a suspect(s).

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