A Valley High School student remained in critical condition as authorities continued investigating the Tuesday morning shooting.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — More than one person was detained in southern Indiana in connection with the shooting of a teenage girl near a Jefferson County Public Schools bus stop, authorities said Wednesday, as Louisville police continued investigating without announcing any arrests.
The Valley High School student was critically injured Tuesday morning near Beech Street and Wyandotte Avenue in Louisville’s Park DuValle neighborhood. Louisville Metro Police said its Homicide Unit is leading the investigation because of the severity of the girl’s injuries. Police have not publicly identified a suspect or announced a possible motive.
Officers responded to the area around 8 a.m. Tuesday after receiving a report of a shooting. Police found the teenage girl with a gunshot wound and provided first aid until emergency medical and fire crews arrived. She was taken to UofL Hospital in critical condition. Police said she remained critically injured as the investigation continued Wednesday.
Jeffersonville Police Chief Scott McVoy said more than one person had been detained in southern Indiana in connection with the case. McVoy did not disclose how many people were detained, when the detentions occurred or what role investigators believe those people may have had. Louisville Metro Police separately said it had not made any arrests and that no one had been detained by LMPD. Detectives continued following leads.
Police have released few details about what happened before the gunfire. A relative of the girl told WDRB that the teenager had walked away from a confrontation before she was shot, while Louisville Metro Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins described a similar account based on information she had received. Police have not publicly confirmed those accounts, identified anyone responsible or said whether investigators believe the shooting was targeted.
The shooting prompted additional security and support around the bus stop and Valley High School. Louisville police, JCPS personnel and community volunteers returned to the area as students traveled to and from school. The district also made crisis-response and counseling services available to students, staff members and families affected by the violence. School officials said those services would remain available as needed.
JCPS Superintendent Brian Yearwood said student safety remained a priority and described the shooting as unacceptable. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the city’s Office for Violence Prevention would provide support around the bus stop, while outreach workers were seen checking on students in the neighborhood Wednesday. Valley High School officials also increased security following the shooting.
The incident renewed concern about violence affecting students traveling to school. Louisville Public Media reported that Tuesday’s shooting was at least the third shooting involving a JCPS bus stop in five years. In a separate 2021 case, 16-year-old Tyree Smith was killed and two other students were wounded while waiting for a school bus. One of the two men convicted in that case was sentenced Wednesday to 60 years in prison.
Community groups also began organizing additional bus-stop safety efforts. Councilwoman Donna Purvis announced a community initiative called “Watch the Stop,” intended to increase adult presence near children waiting for buses. Volunteers from Men Against Gun Violence joined police and school personnel near the Beech Street stop as families returned there following the shooting.
As of Wednesday, Louisville police said the investigation remained active and was progressing. Authorities had not publicly announced charges, identified a suspect or released a confirmed motive. The teenage victim remained in critical condition, and investigators continued asking people with information or relevant video from the area to contact police.