LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A shooting on West Market Street is reopening old wounds as Louisville tries to recover from past acts of violence.
Metro Police said the incident happened at the Southern Restaurant and Lounge, not too far from the Kentucky International Convention Center, around 3 a.m. Sunday.
Afterwards, several community members gathered outside of Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church to honor six victims and search for answers.
"In my mind it's not where it happened and what time it happened. It's why did it happen,” Soni Castleberry, member of The Gun Violence Prevention Team, said.
“The violence and the trauma is passed on and it devastates families," one community member said.
Along with laying out their frustrations, the group called on officials to solve Louisville’s gun violence crisis.
"Our legislators need to act. They need to do something, and we need to let them know that it's very important to us," a member of Moms Demand Action said.
Mayor Craig Greenberg shared similar sentiments during a Sunday media briefing.
"Enough is enough, we can and must do more,” he said. “I’m calling on my colleagues in metro council to determine whether bars in our city should stay open until 4a.m. or like many other cities in America, 2 a.m. is late enough."
In the meantime, he says Southern Lounge will remain closed. Alcohol and Beverage control reached out to state officials to terminate the bar's license.
"It's called an emergency suspension order based on the violence that has taken place,” ABC Director Brad Silveria said. “That process takes a little bit of time, but LMPD is going to send the reports over to state officials, which will start the clock and will result in an immediate revocation of that license," he said.
City leaders add they've worked to close the business since July 10th after receiving several complaints.
Unfortunately, Greenberg said they were unable to shut it down before lives were taken.
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