Nearly 70 homicides in Jefferson County this year so far, what OSHN is doing to address it

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Jefferson County has seen nearly 70 homicides so far this year, and 20 of them have happened this month.

Tuesday night, the city saw four separate shootings in just two hours. Needless to say some feel violence in the city is out of control.

Dozens of West Louisville residents attended the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhood's Shawnee presentation Wednesday night to learn what is being done about the violence.

The meeting was detailed. It included intervention programs, the city's crime dashboard, and citizens-based solution.

"It just disturbed my spirit," Yvette Goodwin-Jamison, who attended the meeting, said.

Tuesday night alone saw four separate shootings across the city: Two people died, and two others were hospitalized.

"Just tears were rolling down my face. I knew none of the recipients, but it just bothered me. It bothered me all night," Goodwin-Jamison, said.

Goodwin-Jamison's non-profit, Robert Jamison Ministries, Inc., offers intramural sports and family programming at the Shawnee Community Center. She's committed to breaking the cycle of trauma.

"I am a firm believer in continuous prayer," Goodwin-Jamison, said. "It is just out of control."

Others agree saying gun violence in the city doesn't seem to be letting up.

"I know all the neighborhoods down here, and this is a place I want to see improvement," William Harris, a longtime resident in West Louisville, said.

William Harris attended Wednesday's meeting to find out what the city is doing to be proactive.

"We don't need to hear from the mayor. We don't need to hear from the Chief of Police. We need to have programs beforehand, and I know they are doing some things," Harris said.

OSHN organizes neighborhood anti-violence events, identifies high-risk teens and intervenes, and provides counseling to families.

"A lot of people are isolated. They don't have the interconnection that they need, or the community support," Leo Borders, who lives in Louisville, said.

In the presentation, OSHN's Director Paul Callanan said the numbers are still too high. But he claimed, because of the city's work, gun violence has dropped by 35% in two years.

"Maybe they don't always reach as far as they could. But it is definitely an appropriate place to start," Borders said.

For more information on OSHN's goals, click here.