Editor's note: In a previous version of the story, sheriff Kathy Witt's name was misspelled. It has been corrected.
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington saw another rise in violence over the weekend. The city recorded its 38th homicide of the year, where 31 are gun-related and many have been domestic violence incidents.
What You Need To Know
- Domestic violence and shootings are affecting Lexington’s community
- October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
- The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Lexington are handing out purple light bulbs for domestic violence awareness
With the recent surge, nearly one-third of homicides have been tied to domestic violence. Cities across the nation recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and Lexington is spreading awareness through a purple-light initiative.
Violence prevention leaders like the sheriff’s office and pastor Keith Tyler of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church went door-to-door, giving a few homes purple lights that symbolize the annual month of action.
Pastor Tyler says the purple-bulbs shine light on a dark situation.
“It is our prayer that these lights that we’re holding here are indicative of a purple, which is also the color of royalty, that when people see purple, see these lights, hopefully this will maybe click off a switch,” Tyler said.
Last week, Lexington mayor Linda Gorton and community partners spoke about their plans to handle the issue in the upcoming weeks. At this time last year, Lexington had 29 gun-related homicides. This year so far, the city has seen that grow by two.
Fayette County Sheriff Kathy Witt wants the public to recognize factors leading to these situations and to work with the office as much as possible.
“We count on them to partner with us if they see something we want them to call us. We want them to call the Lexington police department if it’s an emergency. We want them to dial 911. If we see or hear neighbors yelling at each other, we want them to call law enforcement.” Witt said.
The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office will host its domestic violence vigil Tuesday, Oct. 25, at the Robert F. Stephens courthouse plaza. Sheriff Witt is encouraging the community to know when to intervene and that their department will help.
“We want our teachers to know that there are resources and that if children come in, they can tell that something is wrong. We want them to know that we’re here for everyone in the community.” Witt said.
On Monday morning, Gov. Andy Beshear, along with domestic violence advocates and survivors, proclaimed October as the month of awareness in Kentucky.