January homicides on pace to shatter last year's total in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- January is on pace to shatter last year’s stats when it come so violent crime in Louisville – a homicide Saturday morning only adding to that number.

Community activist Christopher 2X says he is shocked by the crime the Metro Louisville area has experienced – not only recently but since February 2020.

“I didn’t believe this would be the first 22 days of 2022 especially after we came off such a devastating year,” said 2X. “If we don’t break this cycle of double-digit homicide every month, now we go into the 24th straight month from Feb of ’20 into January of '22.”

2X said after such a violent year last year – the worst in the city’s history, he hoped 2022 would at least start better.

Last year January had a total of 16 homicides. So far this year Louisville stands at 15…with more than a week left in the month.

A double shooting early Saturday morning added to that number – a man was killed a woman taken to the hospital after being shot on Norbrook Drive.

shooting map — A man was killed in a shooting on Norbrook Drive on Jan. 22, 2022.

“What’s happening and what is trending is, that this is our new normal,” says 2X. “If we stay at that new normal how can anybody get a sense of peace when you got 100-plus homicides a year at that rate.”

That trend is one that will be extremely difficult to break since violent crimes are happening to young and younger children – and younger people are also the suspects.

2X and his nonprofit Game Changers believe in the last two years, teaching crime prevention to high schoolers is too late – it needs to be earlier.

“All those numbers for some reason don’t matter to some individuals who still want to inflict that kind of harm on other individuals,” said 2X. “I don’t believe anyone would have thought at the start of '22 we would be in those numbers already and they are pretty dark to be quite frank with you.”

There have been no arrests in Saturday morning’s shooting. If you have any information, call LMPD's anonymous tip line at (502) 574-5673.