LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A man was arrested in connection to the fatal shooting of former Linkin' Bridge member Jeremiah Buckner, also known as Ekoe.
John Kennedy, 20, was arrested Tuesday night. He is facing charges of murder and robbery.
The shooting happened on Jan. 3, 2023 near Esquire Alley and Roy Wilkins Avenue. Louisville Metro Police officials said officers found Buckner suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to court documents, Buckner was driving for Uber at the time of the shooting. He was giving someone a ride to the 600 block of Village West Drive so they could sell some items.
That's when Kennedy reportedly approached Buckner's car and held the other person at gunpoint.
Surveillance footage showed Kennedy and the other person fleeing the scene as Buckner laid on the ground.
In court on Wednesday, the judge kept Kennedy's bond set at $500,000 full cash. If posted, he'll be ordered to house arrest. He is currently being held at Louisville Metro Corrections.
Kennedy will be back in court on Feb 1.
"LMPD wants to again extend our appreciation to members of the community who provide information in any criminal cases," the department said in a news release. "Receiving tips from those who possess information regarding a case is often times the difference between a case being cleared or remaining unsolved."
For friends and family, the corner of Village West Drive and Esquire Alley serves as a constant reminder of immeasurable loss.
"I think about him all the time I watch our old videos, and then I cry," Montre Davis, Linkin' Bridge member and longtime friend of Buckner's, said. "I mean, it's still devastating at times."
After a year filled with heart break and questions, answers seem to be on the horizon.
"It's great that we have justice, but at the same time, it's bitter, because you see the very issues that my brother fought against," Jason Buckner said. "It's really just a lagging indicator and a symptom of a bigger problem."
As a hometown hero who always looked to promote peace, Buckner became a victim of the very issue he'd long advocated against.
"It was a very hard pill to swallow, the way he passed, and knowing what [Linkin' Bridge] stands for," Davis said. "I know that he just didn't agree with those things. He hated to hear about gun violence."
Family said while an arrest has been made, closure won't come until the violence stops across Louisville.
"The very things that led up to a 19 or 20 year old pulling the trigger and taking the life of my brother Jeremiah Ekoe--until those things are resolved, we don't have closure," Buckner said.
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