Esquire Alley remains a hotspot of gun violence

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Greater Israel Baptist Church has been part of the Russell neighborhood for nearly 60 years, and Bishop BK Litton has served as pastor there for seven years.

“It was bad,” Litton said. “It wasn't as bad as this year, certainly not this summer.”

The church is just two minutes from Esquire Alley, an area where four men have been shot since April 24.

Litton says the deaths in his community have become funerals in his church.

“When young people in the community were shot or murdered, it was often the case that services had to be held in our church,” Litton said.

Keevan Brown, Stephan Adams and Antwan Morris were all killed within a block of each other. Another man was killed Monday night in Esquire Alley, but his identity has not yet been released.

Data from Louisville's Gun Violence Dashboard shows that 13 more people have been shot between Chestnut and Broadway and between 9th and 15th streets since the beginning of the year.

That means that in 2024, 17 people will have been shot in an area of ​​about a tenth of a square mile, which includes many businesses and a large apartment complex.

“You have to remember that there's a restaurant, a gas station, a liquor store,” Litton said. “All of these things, and then when you have a dispute with someone in the community, someone who lives in the community, it draws all this unwanted attention.”

Data also shows that shooters and victims are younger,

Litton believes that educating youth is the first step toward healing.

“I think we need to get out of these walls, step outside these walls, step into this community and not worry so much about filling our pews but rather about changing the hearts and lives of these young people,” Litton said.

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