In a tragic turn of events that highlighted the persistent reach of violence, 17-year-old KenDell Smith, a male junior at Fern Creek High School, was fatally shot on February 2, 2018. The incident occurred in south Louisville, in the 3200 block of East Indian Trail near Preston Highway. Smith's family had recently relocated to Louisville from Chicago, seeking a safer environment and to escape the very violence that ultimately claimed their son's life.
His cousin revealed that he had even been shot previously in Chicago.
The shooting prompted an investigation by local law enforcement, which led to the arrest of a 17-year-old suspect. Due to the suspect's status as a juvenile, his identity was not publicly disclosed by the authorities. Details regarding the motive or the circumstances that led to the shooting have not been widely publicized. The community was left to mourn the loss of a young life cut short, a life that had moved states in a search for peace.
