JCPS student shot in double shooting at PRP High School, still in critical condition

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Family members of a JCPS student who was shot before a football game at Pleasure Ridge Park High School are pleading for answers and an end to violence in the city.

As of Monday, WAVE can confirm that the young man left bleeding from gunshot wounds in the PRP High School parking lot is a JCPS student.

As he continues to fight for survival, his family asked that his name not be revealed.

“He’s not out of the water yet. We still don’t know,” said Will Pitts, cousin of the shooting victim. “We hope for the best.”

LMPD found the 17-year-old Valley High School student in the PRP High School parking lot after shots were fired during a football game Sunday around 8 p.m. Ultimately, the other smaller shot Sunday evening is expected to survive.

The nearby gunfire caused pure chaos, forcing fans and players on the field to flee for cover.

“The first thing that went through my mind was, Wow, I hope it’s not someone I know,” Pitts said.

That thought quickly became a harsh reality when Pitts told WAVE that his young cousin, described as a fun-loving, gentle giant, is in the hospital with an amputated leg.

“When I go up there and see him laying in his bed, those are images I can’t erase,” Pitts said.

Sunday night’s shooting left many scars for Pitts. As a parent, the recent fear for his son, a Trinity High School football player who found himself in a stadium under false threat of a gun just last week, was understandable.

“As a parent, I’ve thought about it myself: ‘Do I send my son to the games?’ Can I trust security or the organizer of these events to ensure an appropriate level of security is provided? Or can they even prevent these things?’” Pitts said.

That’s a question Pitts asks himself every day as the founder of the violence intervention organization Shoot Balls, Not Guns.

“We have guns in the hands of babies, you know, the blind leading the blind,” Pitts said. “That’s why I do ‘Shoot Balls, Not Guns.’ Give children alternatives or other ways to see life. You don’t have to steal, you don’t have to rob, you don’t have to kill.”

With Louisville’s harrowing battle against gun violence hitting a little too close to home, Pitts emphasized the need for a collective response to the gun violence plaguing the city. There have been 119 homicides in Louisville so far this year, trending toward pandemic-era numbers. There were 291 non-fatal shootings.

“This is not welcome in our communities. “This is not welcome in the city of Louisville,” Pitts said. “This doesn’t just look bad for a certain group of people, it looks bad for the entire city of Louisville. You can’t even attend a football game without fear of being shot.

Many questions remain in the case of Pitts’ cousin, including who pulled the trigger. Police have not yet made any arrests directly related to the shooting.

“For anyone who knows what’s going on, I understand the traitor thing, but it’s not about traitors. It’s about humanity. It’s about loving each other. It’s about doing better. It’s about wanting something better,” Pitts said in a plea for information about the case. “Because the moment it happens to your relative, you have to watch the snitch thing go out the window. ‘Cause you’ll be standing here like I’m begging for the same thing. Please someone say something. Please help us. You know, if not, know that your child may be killed next by the same person who committed this crime. So we just have to do better for the love of humanity.”

This shooting remains under investigation and anyone with information or video can call or use the anonymous tip line at 502-574-LMPD (5673). LMPD Crime Tip Portal.

Copyright 2024 WAVE. All rights reserved.