The Teddy Bear has become a staple in the African American community in the West End of Louisville. The Teddy Bear represents a time in which parents remember their children the most which is of them being young. Over a dozen Teddy Bears lay across the street from Craig Bland Sr. house on 32nd and Kentucky Street were over the years many homicides have taken place. Including the 2012 shooting that left his son CJ, and two others murdered.

Tyrone Booker Sr., a Deacon at Spirit Filled New Life Church in Louisville, says the alarming rate of young black men being murdered in the city is overwhelming to him. He can speak with some authority, since his own 21-year-old son, Tyrone Booker Jr., was gunned down on March 27th, 2016. “I baptized him. He gave his life to God, and he had my Grandson. So the legacy is still continuing, just that Junior isn’t there anymore,” Deacon Booker said.

Aretha McGee wears a locally made T-Shirt design of her son LeeAndrew McGee. She lost her son LeeAndrew McGee on March 28th, 2017 to gun violence.

Phyllis Murphy, 48, lost her son Dejuan Porter 15 years ago but is still horrified another black man took her son’s life the day before Dejuan was planning to catch a bus for job corp. “I always wonder where my son would be today if he had not been senselessly murdered. I wonder if he would be in the streets selling drugs. Would he have a family with a roof over their head. Would be be working in the corporate world and be a success story. I’ll never know. I wasn’t given the opportunity to celebrate Juan’s life into his adulthood. I only had one child. I didn’t have grandchildren, he was murdered at 18. He was all I had. The day that young man took my son’s life is the day I lost my life as well.” Phyllis Murphy said.

Craig Bland Sr. holds a middle school and elementary school photo of his sons Craig Bland Jr. and Toreze Bland who were both murdered in 2012 and 2015 from gun violence in Louisville. “After my first son was murdered the situation made me worried about loosing my youngest son. I thought it was only a matter of time until they shot my youngest one. The streets killed my sons. My son’s were good people they just were around the wrong people. I watched my wife Diana die from cancer in front of my eyes, my brother was murdered, my two nephews were murdered, and now I have no more sons, no more children. There used to be a lot of love in this house. That love is gone now,” Bland said.

Autour Love, 46, holds a framed photo of his deceased son Javon Saadig Jackson and him, who was murdered by a drive by shooting on December 1st, 2016, he was 19 year’s old.”First 20 minutes I heard about my son getting shot, I was Boom, out the house, drove straight from Park DuValle to 12th and Hill Street. All of the anger I let go when I was younger grew back inside me. The coroner didn’t even lay a sheet over my son’s dead body. They had him lounged over the car with his lifeless body, blood dripping on the ground. I left the streets for my son to learn from my past life lessons. All I can do now is lay back; ask God for answers, because the streets won’t give me answers.” Autour Love said while reflecting on the memory of his son Javon Saadig Jackson

The grave sight for Kentrail Robbins who was murdered outside of the 28th Street Barbershop in 2012.

Tonya Madry says she is cautious whenever she leaves her home because she is unaware of who murdered her son. The homicide occurred July 30, 2017, and there are still no leads in the case. The shooting happened across the street from Brandeis Elementary school in Louisville. The only chance Tonya Madry had in uncovering clues were the surveillance cameras at the school, but since the semester had not started yet, the security cameras were off.

Darlene McNealy holds a Anti-Violence poster of three of her children that were murdered from gun violence in Louisville. From Left: Deron Cole, Suwanda Cole, and Joseph McNealy were all murdered from gun violence. The Cole siblings were murdered in 1996, and Joseph McNealy in 2009. “I ask the Lord why is this happening to my family, what has my family done to deserve these ordeals. We had to go to counseling. I had one son who was ready to commit suicide when Joseph was murdered. This violence affects not just me, this affects my children, our way of life, the way you think, the way you feel, every single thing about your whole family is just destroyed. Sometime it’s like what the hell I want to wake up for ? So I can keep feeling that feeling,” McNealy said.

DaeQuan Smith, 24, holds a locally made T-Shirt of his brother Kentrail Robbins, who was murdered in 2012 in a still unresolved case. “My older brother was a handsome young man. Plenty females. Always dressed nice. Someone I could look up to. He never fronted on me either; he always looked out for me and my sister. We have the same parents, grew up in the same house, and wore the same clothes. Last time I saw him was in the mall and I told him to buy me some new shoes and he was with his friends and he tried to front and say he wouldn’t buy me some new shoes, but I knew he would. Last time I saw him. I loose it seems at least two friends a year. Every time I go back to school I loose a friend and that takes a hold of me when the semester starts,” Smith said.

Rochelle Turner wraps around the high school jacket of her only son Ricky Jones. Ricky Jones was murdered April 14th, 2017 from gun shot wounds at the age of 29. “At first I would look at other mothers who lost their sons and think their sons were into something and mine wasn’t. I would think that maybe if my son was doing something wrong or died from a disease or committed suicide I would be able to find closure but in any way I can’t bring my son back. He was murdered but his life wasn’t his own. He had five children who now have to live without a father in their life,” Turner said.

Judy Wilkins, Jasmine Wilkins, and Sherry Simmons hold the graduation picture of Gregory Wilkins who was murdered on Tuesday November 26th, 1996 on 1737 South 22nd Street. He was pronounced dead as soon as he went to the hospital. His daughter was two years old and was in the other room when he was murdered. His girlfriend Sherry Simmons was at work, and his mother Judy Wilkins was at home. “I visit his grave once a week. I have been once a week for 21 years. I once dreamed that he was reaching out to my hand and I almost reached his. I said baby why did they take you so soon. He told me my time had come. The last thing I heard him say is take care of Jasmine, and let Sherry know that I love her, and that I love you, my brother, and my dad. Then he was gone.” Judy Wilkins said.

At Dino’s Gas Station in Louisville were LeeAndrew McGee was murdered March 28th, 2017.