LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Families dealing with the aftermath of murder and tragedy gathered at Waterfront Park Thursday night for the Louisville Metro Police Department's event for National Crime Victims' Rights Week.

The week raises awareness about the impact of crime on individuals, families and communities.

LMPD's Victim Services Unit hosted an honor walk for attendees and a flower release into the Ohio River. The event also featured several community resources, like counseling services and advocacy groups.

Michelle Stone drove to Louisville from Radcliff with her family, including her granddaughter. Stone's daughter, Kierrea Stone Gonzalez, was found shot to death in her Newburg apartment in September 2022.

Stone had driven to her daughter's apartment after she went days with phone calls unanswered. When Stone and her other daughter walked into the apartment, they found Kierrea shot in the head, and her daughter in the apartment. Stone said her granddaughter was alone in the apartment for four days.

"When we found her, she was kissing her mother thinking she was waking her up, not realizing she was gone," Stone said. 

Stone is not alone in knowing the feeling of losing a loved one unexpectedly because of a violent crime. The family of Vinnie Jacoway also attended the event, dressed in red and carrying pictures of Jacoway.

Jacoway, 34, was hit in downtown Louisville at the intersection of Third and Jefferson streets while walking across the crosswalk in January. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Just out here to remember him, and remember anybody else who has been through a hard time like me and my family," said Jacoway's cousin, Shantell Gaines.

Jacoway's family and Stone's family both utilized LMPD's Victim Services Unit in the aftermath of losing their loved ones. Both expressed gratitude and appreciation for their help.

The unit helps crime victims and witnesses with navigating the criminal justice system and responding to emotional, physical and financial needs.

"Crime can impact a person's life whether it's seemingly small to other people or something as horrible as homicide, when it happens to you it can effect your life and we are here to honor and support that process and help alleviate some of that hardship," said Meghan Ware, a supervisor for the Victim Services Unit.

The event also featured multiple LMPD units, such as the Bomb Squad, Hostage Negotiating Team and Mounted Patrol.

"(A) lot of people may only see some of these specialty units when they're in your community or in your neighborhood responding to something horrible, so we want the community to have the opportunity to engage in a more lighthearted way," said Ware.

Mayor Craig Greenberg also spoke at the event, thanking the Victim Services Unit. Greenberg said in his proposed budget he hopes to hire more people to be part of the unit, including families of victims who can relate.

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