LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) – A man remains in critical condition following a shooting outside a church in South Louisville.
Chris Brooks said gunfire erupted outside N Street Baptist Church moments after the Sunday worship service ended. As members of the congregation ran back into the building for safety, Brooks ran outside to find a wounded man lying in the church parking lot. He had been shot multiple times.
“I’ve never seen anything like that this close. Especially not in broad daylight on a Sunday,” said Brooks.
Brooks, who lives a couple houses away from the church, has lived on South 6th St. for more than two decades.
“When I was young they’d tell you to look both ways before you cross the street. Now it’s look both ways before you come out of the house,” Brooks said. “That’s the reality of the times.”
The shooting is just the latest in a number of crimes in the areas surrounding Churchill Downs.
A shooting on Valentine’s Day claimed the life of a local teen on Longfield Ave. Three days earlier, officers shot and killed an alleged burglary suspect on Oleanda Ave.
The recent stretch of criminal activity has prompted some concerns over spectator safety heading into the Kentucky Derby. In a little more than two months, thousands of spectators will be swarming the residential streets surrounding Churchill Downs in search for parking for the big event.
“By and large the area is safe. People come and go every day. Unfortunately there have been some incidents that have happened,” said LMPD Spokesperson Dwight Mitchell, adding that security preparations are already underway for Derby. “Anyone who’s attempting to come in that area, especially during Derby time, should feel safe and come and have a good time during in our fair city.”
Mitchell said LMPD will have an increased presence in the areas surrounding Churchill Downs during the Kentucky Derby. Until then, 4th Division officers are working diligently to address crime in the area.
Many residents in South Louisville, like Brooks, are not worried about safety during Derby season. In fact some consider it among the safest times of year because the elevated police presence is very evident. They are more concerned about what will happen in the weeks and months that will follow when there are not as many uniformed officers around.
“The city wants to make sure it maintains a good Derby face,” said Brooks. “So we don’t have those same kinds of concerns that same time of year...at least not as strongly as we do other times of the year.”
Churchill Downs has not responded to WHAS11's requests for comment, as of publishing time.