LOUISVILLE, Ky. — De Shanta Edwards wears a photo of her son Donte around her neck.

She has his heartbeat on a CD. 

What You Need To Know

  • The father of three and youth football coach died the day before his 30th birthday in 2019

  • It was five months after someone shot him in his driveway, leaving him paralyzed

  • On Sept. 10, two people were shot and killed near 26th Street and Cedar Street in Louisville, according to police

  • Edwards said one of the victims, Alexis McCrary, was the sister of her niece and nephew

"He was the life of the family," she said. "You would see him, you would just smile. He was that goofy child. He gave back to the community. His football team loves him."  

The father of three and youth football coach died the day before his 30th birthday in 2019.

It was five months after someone shot him in his driveway, leaving him paralyzed, said Edwards.

Last summer, she joined the group M.O.M.S — Mothers of Murdered Sons and Daughters of Kentucky — for a peace walk, but this month, when police in Jefferson County reported the shooting deaths of 16 people in just 20 days, peace is hard to come by. 

"Y’all killing our community," said Edwards. "Y’all hurting these families. Y’all not just hurting my family, or someone else’s family, y’all hurting the community. We got elderly people that’s scared to do anything and we shouldn’t have to live in fear and that’s what I know I live in."

On Sept. 10, two people were shot and killed near 26th Street and Cedar Street in Louisville, according to police.

Edwards said one of the victims, Alexis McCrary, was the sister of her niece and nephew. 

She is pleading for people to "put the guns down." 

"I feel so sorry for these families to even have to experience the type of hurt," said Edwards. "And people always say it gets better. When? Because every time it’s gun violence, a killing, it’s just opening up more wounds. It never heals. At least, my wound is not healing."

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