A Louisville community has been left shaken after 23-year-old mother Redaja Williams was fatally shot while walking her daughter to a school bus stop on Aug. 13.
The tragic shooting, which unfolded in front of multiple children, has left families reeling and authorities vowing to address the rise in violence.
According to the New York Post, the incident occurred around 8 a.m. as Williams held her daughter’s hand on the way to the bus stop. Police say a young male wearing a red hoodie approached and opened fire, striking Williams. She died at the scene while her child and other students looked on in horror.
Louisville Metro Police initially detained a 15-year-old but later released him after confirming he had been present during the shooting but did not fire a weapon. The gunman remains at large.
Police Chief Paul Humphrey condemned the violence during a press conference, explaining that this marked the second bus stop shooting in Louisville within a week.
“Kids should be able to go to school — go to the bus stop in the morning — without any fear of gun violence, without any fear of having to run for their life in the morning,” Humphrey said. “It’s absolutely unacceptable that these types of incidents have happened now twice in the last week — it’s absolutely pathetic.”
Williams’ family also shared their grief publicly. Her aunt, Donna Cole, said: “My niece was killed yesterday in front of her daughter and her niece and all the other children who was on the bus. I’m traumatized. I live in fear. Not that they’re going to do anything to me but to another person’s child.”
Williams leaves behind two children, ages 2 and 7. Loved ones are calling for justice as investigators continue to search for the suspect.
The tragedy has sparked renewed conversations about youth safety and the urgent need to protect children from being caught in the crossfire of escalating gun violence.
