Neighbors call for action after latest shooting at Algonquin Park

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Another shooting at Algonquin Park has renewed calls for safety and accountability in one of Louisville’s historic west end neighborhoods.

Gunfire broke out Sunday morning on the basketball court at Algonquin Park — just steps away from a tennis court, a swimming pool and a playground. Louisville Metro Police said a father and son were injured in the shooting, and the department’s Non-Fatal Shooting Unit is handling the investigation.

For Linda Bishop, who lives next door to the park, the violence brings back painful memories. Her son was killed by gunfire years ago.

“My son got killed in 2007 — now you hear about it every single day,” Bishop said. “Every day, somebody is losing a child.”

Bishop said she used to bring her own children to the park to swim, and she was thrilled when the city announced a multimillion-dollar investment to upgrade the pool and other amenities. But despite those improvements, she said she’s still hesitant to let her grandchildren play there.

“I hate it, because I don't want them to take it away,” she said. “But you never know when something’s going to break out. You hear gunshots. You see people running through the park.”

City leaders said they’re aware of the concerns and are working to address them. Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins, who represents District 1, said the shooter in Sunday’s case parked a car just a street away before opening fire.

“They're hiding guns in our backyards, hiding guns in abandoned houses,” Hawkins said. “After this budget is passed, we’re going to be looking to put a fence along both sides of the park.”

Hawkins said the park already has surveillance cameras, round-the-clock security at the pool, and regular police patrols between noon and 5 p.m.

“We’re also putting in a license plate reader,” she said. “So when you drive through the park, your tag is definitely being pinged.”

Still, some believe more community-centered programs are needed.

“Gun violence has to stop,” Bishop said. “And I don’t believe it’s people in this neighborhood. I think it’s people coming in from the outside.”

Donnie Morris, president of the nonprofit Prevention 2000, wants the city to revive a program he said once made a difference. In 2006, the “CARE” initiative allowed residents to anonymously report crimes to churches, who then passed the tips to police.

“That gave the person reporting a crime a buffer,” Morris said. “Calls went up to over 1,000 a month.”

Morris believes similar efforts could help bridge the trust gap between police and the community.

“We’ve got to get back into our homes. Grandparents, uncles — get a hold of our kids and raise them right,” he said. “If not, you’re going to have families mourning at the graveyard, or others going to jail.”

LMPD Maj. Russell Miller said investigators are confident in the direction of the case but still need help from the public.

“The more cooperation we get from the community, the better we can make that park — and any other park in the city — safer,” Miller said. “We’re seeing an uptick in kids with guns. That has to change.”

Anyone with information about this or any other case is asked to call LMPD's anonymous Crime Tip Line at 502-574-LMPD (5673). Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the department's Crime Tip Portal by clicking here.

Other crime stories:

Man arrested after hitting police cruiser with kids inside the vehicle in Jeffersontown

Man arrested after deadly crash in Marion County, Kentucky Police say

2 men injured after shooting at Algonquin Park, Louisville police say