Families march in Louisville demanding an end to gun violence

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Grieving parents prayed for peace on Saturday and then walked with city and state leaders demanding an end to gun violence.

June 1 marks the start of Gun Violence Awareness month. For many families, it's a difficult day to get through.

This May will go down as one of the deadliest months in recent years in Louisville, with more than 20 people killed. Many of those cases add to a list of unsolved homicides in the city as families are left with questions as they grieve.

"This is beyond unacceptable," Kenneth Forbes, founder of Mothers of Murdered Sons and Daughters of Kentucky said. "I don't know what kid that grew up on career day and say they want to be a murderer. Something happens in their life, and as a community, we are supposed to help them."

MOMS DEMAND ACTION GUN VIOLENCE WALK — People walked through Louisville streets asking for the end of gun violence on June 1, 2024.

In 2016, Forbes created Mothers of Murdered Sons and Daughters of Kentucky, also known as M.O.M.S., as a support group. It meets bi-monthly to share their grief and support each other.

"If the M.O.M.S. group can do this, just imagine what we could do with a little bit of help," Forbes said. "This is some type of life you can have after taking such a tough loss."

Current and former city leaders walked with hundreds of parents, siblings and grandparents during the march on Saturday.

"We want these kids to be able to walk in these streets and not be scared," Cynthia Garrett said.

The group walked from the West Louisville Opportunity Center on the Norton Healthcare Goodwill Opportunity Campus to Alberta Jones Park.

"I am literally shaking that we all came together like this," Garrett said. "This was beautiful. I hope every year it gets bigger and bigger."

Garrett wants to see a change in the community.

"We are losing so much with one bullet," Garrett said.

Garrett's family was never the same after her 20-year-old daughter, Alexandra Nicole Daggett, was killed in March 2020.

"We have lost a tremendous person in our family. She was the one who kept us smiling and laughing, and kept us together," Garrett said.

Daggett graduated high school a year early and had her whole life ahead of her, according to her mother.

"She was going to do something with herself, and become somebody, but she didn't get a chance," Garrett said. "My youngest one lost her big sister; and she was her everything. She was the person she looked up to. The hope -- it is gone."

Forbes wanted to organize the walk for mothers like Garrett.

"30 days, 60 days to a year, and then sometimes the cycle repeats itself," Forbes said. "I've been grieving for quite some time."

Forbes' son, 19-year-old Kenneth Forbes Jr., was shot and killed in 2012.

"It was a rough moment in my life," Forbes said.

Forbes doesn't want grieving parents to be forgotten.

"We are going to keep showing our presence, uplifting our officers," Forbes said. "The community itself just needs a lot of love right now."

This year so far, Louisville has had more than 70 homicides.

"Keep the hope alive. Keep fighting for peace," Louisville Metro Councilman Jecorey Arthur said.

Former Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and State Representative Morgan McGarvey were also in attendance.

If you have information in any shooting case, you're urged to call LMPD's anonymous Crime Tip Line at (502) 574-LMPD (673). Tips can also be submitted anonymously online through the department's Crime Tip Portal by clicking here.

For more information about Mothers of Murdered Sons and Daughters of Kentucky, click here. Its' next walk is scheduled for August 17th.

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