LOUISVILLE, Ky. — More and more, the talk inside Gantt’s Barber Shop in Shively turns to the impact of gun violence.

It wasn’t always this way, said master barber Monté Glover.

What You Need To Know

  • Mayor Craig Greenberg announced the formation of a nonfatal shooting squad in the Louisville Metro Police Department

  • The squad is made up of LMPD detectives and sergeants, working with federal agents 

  • The unit has been active for 30 days 

  • There have been 201 nonfatal shootings so far this year, according to LMPD 

“Somebody comes in here and says about somebody passing or getting shot, almost every week,” he said.  

Glover used to cut the hair of Kenneth Forbes Jr., who was killed in 2012 at the age of 19.

Kenneth Forbes Sr., who founded the group Mothers of Murdered Sons and Daughters (M.O.M.S.) of Kentucky, is a frequent visitor to Glover’s shop.

Every time a shooting happens, Forbes Sr. said, it’s like reliving the first day without his son.

“I’m 10 years in the grieving process,” he said. “I’m still here, and I’m trying to live some type of normal life, but the idea of somebody going through the first day of grieving and as we speak right now, somebody tonight is going to go through the first day of grieving.”

There have been 75 homicides and 201 nonfatal shootings this year, according to information shared by the Louisville Metro Police Department.

That’s the major driver behind Mayor Craig Greenberg’s announcement for the formation of a police squad to focus on nonfatal shootings.

The squad is commanded by Lt. Stephen Lacefield and includes two sergeants and 16 detectives who will work with federal agents, according to the city.

“We now respond to nonfatal shootings with a team who is specifically trained to investigate gun violence,” said Lacefield. “This allows the lead detective to be interviewing a victim at the hospital while receiving real-time updates from on-scene detectives who are gathering evidence and speaking with witnesses.”

Forbes said he supports it.

“We’re dealing with a pandemic right now, and just to hear that the mayor’s trying to do something, LMPD is trying to do something, the attorney general is trying to do something, and when we see that type of leadership moving, then the community needs to join that and you know, be supportive of that,” he said.

The new squad has been in place for 30 days and so far, it has taken on 40 cases, LMPD said.

Mayor Craig Greenberg also announced that he is donating $37,000 in his remaining inaugural funds to Kentuckiana Crime Stoppers.

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