LOUISVILLE, Ky. — One teen was killed and two others were injured Wednesday in a drive-by shooting at a bus stop in Louisville, authorities said.
Tyree Smith, 16, was pronounced dead at an area hospital, the Courier-Journal reported. A 13-year-old boy was wounded and taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and a 14-year-old girl was grazed on the ankle and declined medical treatment, the newspaper reported.
According to the Louisville Metro Police Department, a group of Eastern High School students was waiting at a bus stop at about 6:30 a.m. EDT when a vehicle drove by and someone inside opened fire, WHAS reported.
Alert: We're looking for this vehicle in the area of this morning's homicide. We need to talk to any occupants who may have information on this.
— LMPD (@LMPD) September 22, 2021
Grey Jeep license plate with Illinois plate BD91644. Call 574-LMPD. You can remain anonymous. We need your help #LMPD #Louisville pic.twitter.com/j690CrF2CF
“All of our hearts are breaking,” Jefferson County Public Schools spokesperson Renee Murphy told reporters.
Sherita Smith, the mother of the slain teen, called the shooting “senseless.”
“And for this to come to my front door, for something that (doesn’t have anything) to do with my child -- he’s a loving kid, he’s just innocent — waiting to go to school and get an education,” Sherita Smith told WLKY. “This is senseless.”
Sharonda Smith, who said she was the aunt of Tyree Smith, told the Courier-Journal that she believes the location was the target, not her nephew.
“That bus stop was a target for whatever reason,” Sharonda Smith told the newspaper. “But all I know is my nephew, he went to school, he went to work, he was in 11th grade. He’s never had a problem. He don’t get calls home from the teachers regarding his behavior or anything.”
Police are looking for a 2019 Jeep Cherokee with an Illinois license plate, number BD91644, in connection with the case, according to the newspaper.
Here is an update regarding the heartbreaking shooting this morning. No child should be lost to gunfire at a school bus stop. Metro remains focused 1st on gun violence but this challenge requires help from national, state & community partners. https://t.co/HZb0LRq93B
— Mayor Greg Fischer (@louisvillemayor) September 22, 2021
“The biggest thing we’re taking away from this right, we had kids who couldn’t even wait at a bus stop without getting shot. police spokesperson Maj. Shannon Lauder told WLKY. “It’s horrifying and devastating.”
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said the shooting violated a “sacred space.”
“And a teen that should be at school today will not be there, and will never be there again,” Fischer said in a news release.
Fischer said the fatal shooting was the city’s 145th homicide this year, The Associated Press reported.
Anyone with information on the vehicle is asked to call LMPD at 502-574-5673.
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