Louisville's rise in child homicide victims a 'staggering' trend, commonwealth's attorney says

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- In a quiet, almost somber address Wednesday, Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney Gerina Whethers said gun violence is an urgent issue plaguing the the Louisville community.

Data from the city shows 18 kids were murdered in Louisville in 2024, nearly a 40% spike over 2023.

The stark statistic hit hard as it became clear that the violence impacting the city was not only widespread but was also growing in intensity among a younger generation. Whethers emphasized the need for the community to act in response, acknowledging the grim reality that these deaths were not just numbers — they were lives, families and futures lost.

"We have to meet the needs as the community needs it," she said.

While she has kept a low profile since her appointment and subsequent election, the recent surge in gun violence had forced her into action. In the past two weeks alone in Jefferson County, Whethers said there have been 18 shootings in the city, 11 of which were fatal.

"The numbers are staggering but not surprising," she said. "Drugs, including the resurgence of heroin, continue to drive much of this violence. ... Narcotics is not new but it permeates through every case. It affects everything."

To combat this, Whethers revealed a comprehensive plan to address public safety in Louisville. One of her primary goals is to create a special unit focused on curbing the ongoing tide of narcotics-related crime.

"Narcotics have never gone away," she said. "What we've seen is that when we start to find commonality, we realize just how deeply ingrained it is in our community."

Whethers' plan also involves bolstering resources for a fatal crash unit, extending her office's reach to local communities and cracking down on the illegal firearms circulating in the streets. Last year alone, a new program led to 82 additional cases related to gun crimes, aiming to disrupt the nexus of criminal activity.

"This is a long-term commitment," she said. "It's not something that happens overnight, but we're making progress."

The sheer scale of gun violence in Jefferson County is undeniable, and Whethers acknowledged the difficulty of addressing it.

"There is no way around the number of non-fatal shootings and homicides," she said. "Louisville's youth — kids 18 and under— are dying at an alarming rate from gun violence."

Despite the challenges, Whethers remains steadfast in her resolve to combat the crisis. While she couldn’t provide a specific conviction rate for gun-related crimes, she did share that her office successfully convicted 3,700 individuals last year, 537 of those involving firearms. The numbers are a sign of progress, but Whethers knows there's still much work to be done.

As part of her continued efforts to engage the community, she announced plans for more town hall meetings to discuss the city's rising crime rates and the steps her office is taking to address them.

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