LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- An emotional vigil was held in Bullitt County on Sunday, remembering the lives of two brothers who were shot and killed last week.

Jayden Howard, 9, and Maurice Baker Jr., 6, were allegedly shot by their mother, Tiffanie Lucas, last Wednesday according to police. A neighbor found the children with gunshot wounds in a bedroom of a home on Bentwood Drive and called 911. 

According to the Bullitt County Sheriff's Office, it happened just after 11 a.m. in the 200 block of Bentwood Drive in a residential area near Shepherdsville. Both boys were rushed with a police escort to Norton Children's Hospital in downtown Louisville, where they died.

Hundreds of people, including family members and dozens of first responders, attended the vigil at Little Flock Baptist Church on Preston Highway in Shepherdsville.

School bus with Jayden Howard, Maurice Baker Jr.

A community vigil for Jayden Howard and Maurice Baker Jr. was held at Little Flock Baptist Church in Shepherdsville, Ky. on Nov. 12, 2023

"This is so awesome that a community can come together and help the family mourn the loss of these two innocent lives," said JoDee Estes, a family friend. "Our community, I feel like we failed them. I feel like our system failed them.

There were candles and a line up of balloons at the vigil, all intended to help the community heal from the tragedy.

 "There comes a time when you have to listen to when people try to tell the authorities instead of the authorities just putting it away or not wanting to you know, listen to the family members," Estes said. "I know that a lot of people are going to have a hard time trying to process and the easiest way to process is with your faith, so that helps out tremendously."

Londa Boggs has been a school bus driver in Bullitt County since 2014. She drove Jayden and Maurice to school. Jayden would sit in the back of the bus with his friends, while Maurice would stay closer to Boggs since he was younger.

"My heart just went out because I found out that they weren't going to make it," Boggs said. "My heart just cried, the very thought that you can lose two little bus babies like that to their mother. It's hard. It's gut wrenching."

The two boys went to Freedom Elementary School. They were both known as happy kids.

"We don't understand and everybody wants to say we should have done this or we could have done that," Estes said. "And the family is going to blame themselves for the rest of their lives for this and they should not have to. They already have to suffer the loss of the boys but they shouldn't have to suffer that. They shouldn't have to have that feeling."

Lucas, 32, was charged with two counts of murder and is being held on a $2 million bond. Lucas is scheduled to be back in court Tuesday morning. 

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