LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Balloons, teddy bears and handwritten messages line the bus stop where Valley High School students gathered Saturday to remember a classmate who was shot while waiting for the school bus earlier this week.
The girls, all 17 or younger, came together at the bus stop near Beech Street and Wyandotte Avenue for an emotional vigil for their friend, who remains in critical condition.
At times, the girls cried uncontrollably as they talked about the shooting and victim, describing her as positive, supportive and someone they could count on.
"Every day it doesn't feel like a normal day. It feels so weird going into the school," friend Chris'e Churchill said. "Coming past her bus stop, it really breaks my heart because you just think about it. You see the balloons, teddy bears, everything and it hurts."
The teen's identity has not been released.
Family members told WDRB there had been an ongoing issue between the victim and another student. Her friends said they are struggling to understand how that disagreement could have escalated to a shooting.
"It's just not fair. She didn't deserve it," friend Elizabeth Childress said. "It definitely changed my perspective with a lot of things. From me not praying every night to me praying every night. To me praying for my close friends and family members. This world is very weird now."
The shooting happened around 8 a.m. Tuesday at the JCPS bus stop near the intersection of Beech Street and Wyandotte Avenue.
Louisville Metro Police said officers found the teenage girl suffering from a gunshot wound. She was taken to UofL Hospital in critical condition.
The shooting has been especially difficult for the students who knew the victim and for those who were at or near the bus stop that morning.
Friends said going back to school and seeing the place where their friend was shot has makes it difficult to move on from what happened.
"What comes across people's mind to do this? This is somebody's daughter," Churchill said.
Sarah Wade, one of the teen girl's mothers, helped organize the vigil. She said it's heart wrenching watching her children and their friends experience trauma caused by gun violence.
"They're babies. They're just now experiencing and growing into real life, and this is one situation that will probably leave them marked for the rest of their life, and that's hard," Wade said.
The girls said the shooting has changed the way they think about disagreements and how quickly a situation can become dangerous.
They hope other young people will think before making a decision that could endanger someone else's life.
For now, the girls are focused on their friend and hoping she pulls through.
They said the balloons, teddy bears and other items left at the bus stop are a reminder that she is not facing her recovery alone.
Copyright 2026 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
