LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The funeral service for the 3-year-old Louisville child killed alongside her father saw songs of praise and worship echo with the chilling cries of agony and grief.

Loved ones filled King Solomon Baptist Church on Friday to remember the short life of Trinity Randolph.

“She was innocent,” said Linda Howlett, Trinity’s aunt. “She didn't have anything to do with what was going on with adults.”

The little girl died Aug. 14 along with her 21-year-old father, Brandon Waddles. Police said both were shot and at a Jacobs neighborhood home.

Loved ones say Trinity was playing in her Frozen-themed dollhouse when she was hit by gunfire. At her funeral service, Disney princesses stood by the doors of King Solomon like a royal court. Inside, the entire church was decked out in princess themes with flowers, balloons and a tiara placed on the 3-year-old's head as she laid at rest.

“We called her princess because she knew who she was," Howlett said. "She knew that she was supposed to grow up and be something, and that was taken away from her. So we're really sad."

A Familiar Pain

The Louisville Metro Police Department said 41 juveniles have been shot, and 11 have been killed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It nearly doubles the youth shooting victim totals from the same time last year. Trinity was the youngest victim so far this year, and there were other young lives lost just this week.

Juvenile Shooting Stats

On Monday, 16-year-old Adrain Maddox-Bell died in a shooting, and 15-year-old Jaden Maddox died in a related crash.

“It's becoming so common, and if you are in the city of Louisville, you feel this,” Elgina Bullock-Smith said. “It's a heaviness over the city. It's like a dark cloud.”

That cloud is a feeling Smith remembers well. Her teenage son, Anthony Smith Jr., died in February 2015.

“Every time it hits the news, it breaks my heart," Bullock-Smith said. "But this last time, with (Trinity), it almost took me out."

The Louisville mother channeled her pain into purpose by using her experience losing a son to violence to help other parents survive the death of a child.

She wrote two books: “ Morning after Mourning” and “Good Grief’s Guide to Healing.”

With the recent surge in youth shootings and murders, Smith has planned a workshop for parents to provide counseling and other resources she found in the city after her son’s death.

“They’re not always easily accessible. They’re not always in one place or known about,” Bullock-Smith said. "I know that this can help those grieving families.”

The "When Mourners Meet They Mend" event is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. on Sept. 12 at the Grand Lion venue at 1191 Hillview Boulevard in Louisville.

Bullock-Smith said attendance is limited due to social distancing guidelines with COVID-19, and masks are mandatory. She’s also trying to organize a way for families to attend virtually, but she hopes Trinity’s family will be there in-person.

“I want to support another mother and let her know there will be a morning after mourning,” Bullock-Smith said.

She said loved ones burying a child are adopted into a growing family in the city not expanding by birth but connected by loss.

“It’s hard, but you’ll find your way,” she said.

An Arrest in the Case

According to an arrest report, 28-year-old Evan Ross was arrested Wednesday night and charged with two counts of facilitation of murder in relation to Trinity and her father’s death. The arrest report does not indicate if Ross was the one who pulled the trigger in the shootings. Police say they reviewed surveillance video found near the scene and spotted a vehicle used to commit the murders. That vehicle belonged to Ross, according to police. When confronted, Ross reportedly admitted to his involvement in the double homicide. He is currently being held in Louisville Metro Corrections on a $1 million bond, according to online records.

“We need to stop fighting each other,” Howlett said. "We are not each other's enemy. We have other enemies in this world, so please stop the violence.”

For more information on "When Mourners Meet They Mend," email mrs.smithelgina@gmail.com.

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