LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A West Louisville neighborhood working toward revitalization is now the center of a deadly shooting investigation of a 17-year-old.
Seventeen-year-old Devin Swann of West Kentucky Street, died at University Hospital Monday night after someone shot him near the basketball court in Victory Park. The homicide makes two shootings happening near the park in less than a week.
The park -- once a site of gang violence -- has undergone renovations over the past few years. Despite the recent violence, community leaders are not slowing down their efforts.
Metro council president, David James, said the goal is to finish what they started and build a new beginning for the community.
“We're physically and mentally invested in the park,” James said. “It’s not just a person that was killed, that was somebody’s son and it’s a family member, it’s a community member.”
Flowers were left on the basketball court Tuesday following Monday’s homicide. Louisville Metro Police said a lot of people were at the park before shots rang out.
“We can’t save them all,” reverend Charles Elliott of King Solomon Baptist Church said. “What we have to do is just pray, work together and do what we can.”
A spike in crime is exactly what Victory Park has been trying to avoid for the past three years.
“That’s a place where we just invested a great deal of money, sweat equity and financial equity,” James said.
A $1 million revitalization project introduced in 2016, aims to build a new playground and a larger open area for activities open to children and community members. The goal is to beautify the area to help combat the crime and leave its violent history behind.
“It is important for people that live in the community to see investment by the city into the community because that means we care,” James said.
Planned activities at Victory Park this summer include a community-wide cleanup and music and movie night.
James said community members have been heavily involved in the renovation project and they do not plan on letting anything stop them from their mission.
“I think we will do better, but I think it’s important that we embrace the community and still continue on with our neighborhood cleanups and things like that,” James said.
Community leaders plan to meet Wednesday to discuss a final date for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate Victory Park’s new playground.
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