LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville recorded its 90th homicide of 2021 on Sunday, when police officers found a man shot to death in the Wyandotte neighborhood.
The homicide was the fourth Louisville has seen since Friday night. The man, identified by the Jefferson County Coroner's Office as 37-year-old Justin Harless of Bloomfield, Kentucky, was found with "a fatal gunshot wound" around 4:30 p.m. in the 700 block of Denmark Street, LMPD spokeswoman Alicia Smiley said in a statement.
Detectives with LMPD's Homicide Unit "believe the shooting occurred outside," Smiley added.
"This right here, it's just awful," said Carole Williams, who lives in the Wyandotte neighborhood. "When I came outside and walked down the street I was like, 'Oh my goodness.' It's so sad, because it's right down the street from a school building."
At least eight people have been shot — three fatally — in Louisville since Saturday, when Andre Steadmon Sr., 42, was found shot to death in the 1200 block of West Hill Street and a 17-year-old was shot multiple times near the Portland neighborhood. Around midnight, one person was killed in a shooting near the Newburg neighborhood that also injured three others.
Later Sunday evening, a man was shot on Cedar Street near South 29th Street in the Russell neighborhood.
Community activist Christopher 2X said the violent weekend has pushed Louisville to 90 homicides thus far in 2021. At this point in 2020, there were 53 homicides.
Williams has noticed a violent trend in her area.
"Around here, it's more frequently than before," Williams said. "My mom lived on this block for about 15, 16 years, and I've never seen — there's been about seven, eight shootings around this area lately."
Williams' main concern is what this violent trend could mean for future generations.
"It's a lot of impact, because then you have to explain to the children what's going on," she said. "Before, you didn't have to explain to children about these types of situations, but now, more and more, you have to explain to children about violence and about what not to get into and what not to get into lately."
On Sunday night, Smiley said LMPD had identified and questioned a person of interest in connection to the Denmark Street homicide.
"The case will be presented to the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office to determine whether charges will be forthcoming," she said in a statement.
Anyone with information on any shooting is asked to call LMPD's crime tip line at 502-574-LMPD (5673). Callers can remain anonymous.
Copyright 2021 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
