LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A community has been left broken after a teen was killed while closing his family's shop for the night.
The shooting happened in the Shawnee neighborhood at 41st and Market Street early Wednesday morning.
The victim was 19-year-old Neel Nai.
Neel Nai was shot and killed while closing up his family's corner store on May 10, 2023.
"When I got that call, I had to leave my job," Connie McFarland said. "Because it was like getting a phone call telling me that my own two children. That's how broken I was."
McFarland lives near the corner shop, called the 41st Store by neighbors. She says Neel's parents bought the store a few years ago.
"This is a family that came to our community, and didn't just come to make money," McFarland said. "They came here to be a part of our family."
She said the owners would give food away to neighbors in need if food stamps were unavailable, and even paid the power bill for one household.
"If you needed anything, you just had to ask them," McFarland said.
The family's kindness makes this time even more unsettling and heartbreaking for McFarland and Neel's friends.
Employees said the person who shot Neel appeared to be young and was attempting to rob the store.
For now, the store is locked up, surrounded by balloons, candles, and posters for a memorial.
"So that his family can see that how much we do love them," McFarland said.
She hopes this show of unity also sends a message for the killer, who still hasn't been found.
"You may walk these streets, but there's one place you cannot get by, and that's with Him up there," McFarland said as she gestured toward the sky. "Because you're gonna answer for what you did to this child."
McFarland wants to see an arrest, jail time, and consequences for pulling the trigger. She worries that if the crime goes unsolved, it sends the wrong message.
"And if our children continue seeing this (no consequences), that's all they're gonna know is to take a life," McFarland said.
She and other community members are hoping to see more appearances in Shawnee from city leaders, in hopes of uniting against violence.
"Until we stand together and unite together, and say enough is enough, this is going to continue to happen," McFarland said.
Related Stories:
- Coroner identifies 19-year-old shot and killed in Louisville's Shawnee neighborhood
- Police searching for suspects after man shot and killed in Louisville's Shawnee neighborhood
Copyright 2023 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
