LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Louisville woman is still shaken after a carjacking this week.
Taylor Booth says she was robbed at gunpoint around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. She said it happened outside of a Planet Fitness off of Outerloop and Jefferson Boulevard in Okolona.
"I tremble at the thought of what happened,” Booth said.
She said she has trouble leaving her home right now because the memories of the traumatic experience are still fresh.
"I cry. I think about what-ifs," Booth said. “Just the thought of when they came up and they were physically handling me on the ground with their guns - I shake."
Booth said when she was leaving Planet Fitness, she noticed a silver car pump its breaks and make a quick stop. She said it was strange, but at that point, she was closer to her car than the gym's front entrance.
As she approached her car, she said two young men ran up on her and took everything - her wallet, phone, car and more.
"They told me to stay down or they were going to kill me,” Booth said.
And she did stay down, for two important reasons.
"Was it worth it? It's just a car," Booth said. “It's just material things. All I thought about was my daughter and my son."
As a former corrections officer, Booth said she followed her training and immediately wrote down everything she remembered about the men. She shared it with Louisville Police (LMPD) officers, who say they're investigating.
Carjackings in Louisville have been a growing issue. The latest LMPD data shows there were 223 cases from Jan. 1 through Nov. 16, 2021. In 2020, data shows there were 212 for the entire year. That same year, a federal task force was formed to address it.
Back in November of last year, FBI Louisville Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen spoke on it.
"They will attack, grab a car, do a shooting or robbery so that it's not attributed to them,” Cohen said.
She said that's why their carjacking initiative will not just target those who do the carjacking, but track the people who give them instructions to do so.
Booth said she hopes the suspects are caught soon, for others.
"Be alert,” Booth said. “There's a lot of thing going on."
She said it’s important to trust your gut, and if you find yourself in this situation, before considering fighting back, think about making it home alive.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.