LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Each year, March for Our Lives and Peace Walks take place with the push to save lives and end gun violence. It's a topic Kenneth Forbes has continued to speak out about after losing his son to gun violence in 2012.

What You Need To Know

  • M.O.M.S., mothers of murdered sons and daughters of Kentucky

  • Kenneth Forbes is the founder of M.O.M.S.

  • Forbes lost his son to gun violence in 2012

  • Louisville police are investigating nine shootings that occurred between Saturday and Sunday

“During the whole process of grieving, I wasn’t really getting the help that I thought that I needed to deal with the loss so I created the group in 2016 right after his trial was over with,” Forbes said. 

That group is M.O.M.S., Mothers of Murdered Sons and Daughters of Kentucky. Forbes started with just four members in 2016 and now has grown to more than 400.

“It really has to be the whole community getting involved,” Forbes said. “You don’t have to lose a son or daughter to gun violence to be involved, but M.O.M.S. groups are here to embrace those who are just dealing with the gun violence.”

City records show a 33% decrease in nonfatal shootings and a nearly 11% decrease in homicides in the past year. 

“As far as dropping some of this violent crime that you are seeing, it’s because the community has actually bought into LMPD and are saying I want to be a part of the process in solving this violent crime,” Jackie Gwinn-Villaroel, deputy chief of LMPD, said.

The first two weeks of December have proven otherwise, as Louisville police are investigating nine shootings that occurred just between Saturday and Sunday and another shooting Monday night at Jefferson Mall.

“It just opens another wound. Me personally, I just feel so much sympathy for the families when they are having to deal with the loss,” Forbes said. “When does it stop? When does gun violence stop? When do the shooting victims stop? When do teenagers get a chance to live?”

Forbes and Gwinn-Villaroel believe the change starts with the community.

“The community has to get involved. We have to support groups like the M.O.M.S., Game Changers, Bosses Not Bangers,” Forbes said.

“That we understand this violent crime is still there, and it takes all of us in order to make sure we get a handle on it but we are making some big steps just for the community coming to us and actually providing information, technology and good police work being involved,” Gwinn-Villaroel said.

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