Bates Memorial Baptist Church hosted the fifth-annual event. In addition to reading names of all 150 victims, a candle was lit in their honor. 

Deondra Kimble said she lost her son to gun violence in 2017 before her cousin fell victim to gun violence last summer. 

“It was definitely a trigger ... knowing that I had lost my cousin to gun violence and our family had experienced trauma all over again," Kimble said.   

Joe Newland, Louisville's office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods program manager, said this event provides a space for people to grieve their loved ones.

“The most important thing about tonight will be the grieving families who have lost loved ones to violence during the previous year," Newland said. "This event is for them, so we want to honor them, and we want to honor their loved ones.”

Leaders of different faiths, including Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism and others, came in unity to support. 

“We're here to just help each other on this journey so that we know we can make it through,” Kimble said. 

In addition to honoring victims, a candle was lit to honor those who fell to suicide.

Editor's note: The Louisville Metro Police Department has since ruled two of the deaths non-criminal, bringing down the department's official homicide count to 148 in 2023.