LOUISVILLE, Ky. — While the concern over mass shootings have garnered much of the attention nationwide, Louisville is battling with several instances of gun violence every single week.
Candy Linear is one of many in the Metro who has lost a child to gun violence, and now she's taking action so mourning families have support.
Louisville is nearing the one-year mark since 16-year-old Nylah Linear was shot and killed while walking to her aunt's house in the Shawnee neighborhood.
"It's like your mind and your heart are never on the same page, because I know what I saw [and heard], but my heart doesn't want me to believe it," Linear said.
Created through the Nylah Linear Foundation, Linear has planned Nylah's "Last Walk," where a group of mothers will take the steps she took that summer night as a gesture of solidarity. It'll happen on July 21, marking one year since her daughter's death.
"It was the last walk for my daughter, but it also can be the first walk for me and other mothers to get everybody involved to figure out how to stop these senseless killings of our kids," she said.
Linear is encouraging everyone to carry photos or wear shirts showing their kids' faces to honor them. The community walk will start at Linear's home in the Shawnee neighborhood and end blocks away on Cecil Avenue, where Nylah's life was taken.
"I haven't been able to celebrate anything. I don't really believe in the word anymore because I'm filled with so much pain, but for that day, I want it to be a day filled with celebration and unity," Linear said.
Nylah's sisters, including rising 3rd grader Kennedy Clancy, looked at photos of her in their living room on Wednesday. The family says they share an incredible resemblance, in their smiles and love for life.
"I love her, and I know that she's always with me and that she's looking at me right now," Kennedy said. "I miss her."
Since Linear created the Nylah Linear Foundation in fall 2021, it's provided a place for parents in mourning to support each other.
"We're able to laugh, cry, talk -- anything that's needed," she said.
She hopes this coming walk will be another step in healing for families.
You can donate to the Nylah Linear Foundation here. The non-profit organization is selling t-shirts where proceeds will all go toward the community effort. They're also looking for volunteers.
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