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Mayor, Louisville physicians react to violent weekend in Metro

A dozen people were injured in shootings across the city, including five juveniles.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville is grappling with another wave of violence after a dozen people were hurt in shootings this weekend. 

Five juveniles were hurt, including one five-year-old and one three-year-old. 

"It is horrible, it's heartbreaking, this has to stop," Mayor Craig Greenberg said Monday. “Individuals who use a gun to commit a crime need to be held accountable. We need the public’s help.”

Dr. David Foley, a trauma surgeon at Norton Children's Hospital, said continued gun violence in the city is heartbreaking. 

After several juveniles were injured this weekend, Foley noted firearms are the leading cause of injury death in children in the U.S. He's watched that trend change over the last decade. 

"There's no question that as we've seen more and more of these patients, it's become clear that post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological illnesses can be long-term consequences of these injuries, even when they're mild physically," he said. 

Foley also said at Norton, because patients are typically younger, they see more unintentional gunshot wounds. He said more pediatricians have made gun safety guidance part of their toolkit

"If the injuries are of a type that can be fixed surgically, we're pretty good at fixing them and we're pretty good at getting them here and at the EMS part of it," Foley said. "But there are so many of these injuries that the outcome is predetermined, that the only way you can get to it is by getting in a time capsule and going back in time and keeping it from happening." 

UofL Hospital also treats some adolescent patients. Dr. Keith Miller said because of the age of their younger victims, the situation at UofL is different. 

"Norton will predominantly see unintentional injuries," Miller said. "80 percent of what we see are interpersonal injuries, that is an assault-type injury or an injury where someone potentially has the intent to harm someone else, so it is a little bit of a different problem." 

"When we have adolescents or young individuals in our hospital, I think in the last five years, we're doing a better job of providing the needs that you have to wrap around younger individuals," Miller added. 

Monday, Mayor Greenberg told WHAS11 he is still working with state lawmakers to craft solutions to the city's gun violence issues. 

"Long term we must continue to invest in people and neighborhoods, so young people in particular have hopes and dreams and can pursue them, so they don't resort to a life of crime," Greenberg said. 

He expects further meetings in the next two weeks and said he is cautiously optimistic. 

LMPD is still investigating several of the weekend shootings. 

If you have any information that can help police in any of these incidents, you can contact them at (502) 574-LMPD or use their online Crime Tip Portal.

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