Three Accidental Shootings

In the past month, Louisville has had three recent accidental, self-inflicted shootings involving juveniles—including a 14-year-old who died after an accidental self-inflicted shooting and another juvenile who was hospitalized after accidentally shooting himself in the leg. (https://www.wave3.com)

I’m writing this as a community nonprofit leader, not to shame parents—because shame doesn’t prevent injuries. Barriers prevent injuries. And right now, too many kids are still getting access to firearms during the exact moments we least expect.

If you’ve ever said (or thought) any of these, you’re not alone:

• “I never thought this would happen in my house.” (https://www.wave3.com)

• “He wouldn’t touch it.”

• “I didn’t know she knew the code.”

• “I thought I hid it.”

• “I thought it was only for a minute.”

Those words usually show up after the worst has already happened.

The weak links: how a carefree teen becomes a gun victim

Accidental shootings don’t usually start with “bad kids” or “bad parents.” They start with a chain of weak links—small gaps that line up.

Here’s the most common pathway we see:

1. A teen is being a teen (curious, showing off, distracted, impulsive).
   They pick something up “just to look,” “just to hold,” “just to show a friend.”

2. The firearm is accessible.
   Not locked. Or the lock is bypassed. Or the key is easy. Or the code is known. Or the gun is placed where it can be found.

3. A moment becomes a life-altering moment.
   A trigger gets pulled—sometimes while “playing,” sometimes while posing, sometimes during a rush of emotion, sometimes in a split second.

4. The injury happens fast—and the consequences are permanent.
   Hospitalization. Trauma. Court. Funeral. A family changed forever.

That’s the chain. And here’s the part that matters:

We can break the chain at “access.”
Not with lectures. With storage.

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Clear facts you can act on (today)

Fact 1: “Hidden” is not the same as “secured.”
If a teen can find it, a teen can access it.

Fact 2: “Unloaded” isn’t enough if ammo is accessible.
If it can be loaded quickly, it’s still a risk.

Fact 3: “Only for a minute” is long enough.
Many incidents happen in brief windows—during visitors, quick errands, late nights, or when adults are sleeping. (https://www.wave3.com)

Fact 4: Secure storage is not a political statement. It’s injury prevention.
Local leaders launching free lock programs have said the same: this is about preventing tragedies. (Spectrum News 1)

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What to do in your home (simple and specific)

If you own a firearm, this is the minimum safety standard we want normalized:

• Lock it up (safe, lock box, or gun lock)

• Unload it

• Lock ammo separately

• Keep keys/codes private and unpredictable

• Re-check your storage during stress (family conflict, depression, breakup, bullying, discipline issues)

And one sentence to practice before your teen goes anywhere:

“Are there firearms in the home—and are they locked, unloaded, and stored separately from ammo?”

That question is not rude. It’s responsible.

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Where to get help in Louisville (resources)

The good news: more community partners are stepping up with free gun locks and safety tools, and families should use them.

Free gun locks (Jefferson County)

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office launched a countywide program (with Operation Tomorrow) to distribute free gun locks, including at JCSO vehicle inspection locations and community events. (https://www.wave3.com)

Louisville Metro distribution efforts

Louisville Metro’s Office of Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods has run free gun lock giveaways to promote safe storage and protect kids. Check for current distribution information through Louisville Metro communications. (Louisville Public Media)

Community lock campaigns

Programs like Project ChildSafe Louisville have partnered locally to distribute thousands of free gun locks and promote secure storage. (Project Childsafe)

Hospital/community prevention education

Norton Children’s Prevention & Wellness provides local guidance for families on safe storage of firearms and medications. (Norton Children's)

Crisis support (if you’re worried about self-harm)

If you’re worried your teen may hurt themselves (with anything, including a firearm), call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. (Spectrum Local News)

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STYC’s role: we’ve been here—and we’re staying here

For the past three years, STYC has provided lock boxes and gun safes to families because prevention has to be practical. And we’re genuinely glad that other organizations are now offering free safety devices too—because this is bigger than any one group. The more access families have to safety tools, the safer our city becomes.

Here’s the mindset shift I want us to take as a community:

Move from “I thought…” to “I did.”

• “I locked it.”

• “I separated ammo.”

• “I changed the code.”

• “I asked the sleepover question.”

• “I got a free lock today.”

If three accidental shootings can happen this close together, then we have to stop treating this like a rare situation.

This is a preventable injury problem—and we have preventable injury solutions.

If you want, paste your STYC contact line (email/phone + how to request devices), and I’ll drop it into a clean closing section for the blog and also convert this into a tight 6–8 slide carousel.

Youth Gambling, Hiding in Plain Sight

“A new study from Common Sense Media finds that 36% of boys ages 11 to 17 reported gambling in the past year—ranging from sports betting and card games to online gaming-related gambling through loot boxes and gacha pulls.”    

 If you don’t have time ⏳ to read the full blog, no worries. Click the link and watch the short 5-minute video on youth gambling instead. It’s quick, real, and straight to the point. 

 reported by NBC’s Kate Snow on TODAY.

When I first read that headline, I had to stop and ask myself—is this shocking?

I’m no psychologist or PhD student, but I am a professional who has spent the past eight weeks working directly with a group of 15 middle school students. Many of these youth have either gambled themselves or have been exposed to gambling through family members. What I observed during this time was both eye-opening and deeply concerning—and closely mirrored the findings shared in that national study.

For many of us, gambling brings to mind casinos or card games like spades and blackjack at family cookouts. But gambling today looks very different. It now includes sports betting apps, video games with loot boxes, and constant access through smartphones. Sports betting was legalized in 2018 for adults 18 and older—yet youth ages 11 to 17 are still finding ways to participate. From my experience, this often happens when parents or family members allow youth to use their personal information, which is illegal and could lead young people to have a gambling problem. 

Working with high school students around gambling prevention has always been eye-opening, but working with middle school students truly took my breath away. I believed middle school programming was “true prevention,” but I quickly learned that many of these students were already gambling at the same levels as older youth. What surprised me most was that gambling went far beyond video games. Youth shared that they were betting on sports, shoes, snacks, and more.

To better understand what was happening, I conducted a focus group. About 33% of the students—roughly one in three—shared that they had participated in some form of gambling. That statistic alone raises serious concerns. When asked who first exposed them to gambling, some students pointed to social media, describing the bold colors, sounds of money, and the promise of winning big. Others shared that their exposure came from parents or family members, which was especially disturbing. 

When asked where the money came from to support their gambling, students shared it was from good grades, birthdays, holidays, or chores. When asked if their parents cared how they spent that money, many responded, “It’s my money, and my parents don’t care as long as I’m spending my own.” That response highlighted a major disconnect—too much freedom without enough guidance.

Throughout the eight-week program, additional activities helped shed light on what youth truly care about. Three themes consistently rose to the top: family, mental health, and being successful in life. These insights reinforced something I see often—young people want to be heard, understood, and supported, yet adults don’t always take the time to truly listen.

The final activity of the program was the Reality Life Store, one of my favorite sessions because it brought together gambling prevention, healthy decision-making, and money management in a hands-on way. Students were given a $100 in Monopoly money budget and worked through 11 real-world scenarios, including transportation, phone bills, and saving for the future. Many students finished the activity with more than $20 remaining, which led to an important reflection: are certain financial responsibilities overlooked because adults typically manage them? This activity opened the door to meaningful conversations about financial literacy, independence, and real-world accountability.

Reflection: After eight weeks of working closely with these students, one thing became clear: gambling prevention cannot start in high school—it must begin much earlier. The behaviors, beliefs, and exposures are already present by middle school, often normalized through family influence, social media, and everyday technology. What stood out most to me was not just how common gambling had become, but how rarely it was being discussed at home in a meaningful way. These youth are not reckless; they are curious, observant, and deeply aware of their surroundings. They want guidance, boundaries, and honest conversations. If we truly want to protect young people, we must move beyond assumptions and start listening, educating, and holding ourselves accountable as adults. Prevention works best when we meet youth where they are—before the risks become habits and before the consequences become permanent.

Jada Young

Shawnee Transformation Youth Coalition

Project Coordinator, Bet on Yourself

It's Eleven O'clock

   

Do You Know Where Your Children Are?

Some of us recall the late-night message that once flashed across the television: “It’s 11:00—do you know where your children are?” Although there may not have been a flashy commercial to accompany it, the simple reminder carried weight. It didn’t prevent every bad choice or tragedy, but it made parents pause. If your child wasn’t at home, it forced a question: Where are they, and what are they doing?

That same question is just as urgent today. Violence, substance use, and risky behaviors are touching our community in ways that are heartbreaking and often preventable. Recently, a young person—someone’s child or grandchild—was accused of committing a violent crime at a bus stop. Behind the headlines is a truth: this is not just “a suspect,” but someone’s family. We cannot afford to look away or to excuse warning signs that might have been noticed earlier.

Why STYC Is Offering the Hidden in Plain Sight Experience?

Parents and caregivers often ask, “How do I really know what’s going on with my child?” Love and trust are the foundation, but they are not enough in a world where substances, weapons, and dangerous influences are easily accessible. That’s why STYC is offering a full community Hidden In Plain Sight Experience on September 27, 2025.

• How to search your child’s room effectively—not to invade privacy, but to protect safety.
• What to look for—common signs of drug use, hidden paraphernalia, or weapons.
• How to have the hard conversations—turning discovery into dialogue, not just discipline.
• When to seek help—knowing the difference between a teachable moment and a crisis requiring professional support.
• Where do I seek help - Who to reach out to for help

A Call to Action

Our children’s choices today shape not only their futures but also the safety of the entire community. This training is designed to equip parents, guardians, and grandparents with tools—so that when you ask yourself, “Do I know where my child is?” the answer goes deeper than just location. It means knowing what’s happening in their world, what influences are shaping them, and how you can step in before it’s too late.

Join us in September. Learn how to protect your child. Learn how to protect our community.

Because at 11:00—and every other hour—you deserve to know where your children truly are.

• When:  Saturday, September 27, 2025
•                                               Location: Catholic Enrichment Center                                                   3146 W Broadway
• 
  
• Time: Class 1 – 12:00 PM
•            Class 2 – 1:30 PM
• 
  
• Contact:  Andrea Cook 502-819-9150
• RSVP: STYCtalks@gmail.com
•            

Angela Hollingsworth

       

 

PIVOT - A change in position, or strategy

"Pivoting Toward Prevention: A Call for Community Support"

In basketball, a pivot allows a player to keep one foot grounded while turning to find a better position — to see the court more clearly, make a stronger pass, or take a smarter shot. At STYC, we’re making a similar move.

For nearly a decade, we’ve stood firmly in substance use prevention, rooted in youth leadership, community partnerships, and culturally relevant strategies. But the game is changing. The same young people we serve are now facing additional risks — from rising violence and untreated mental health challenges to the growing dangers of youth gambling.

So, we’re pivoting.

Not away from our foundation, but toward a more comprehensive approach to prevention — one that addresses all the factors threatening youth well-being. We’re expanding our lens while keeping our mission clear: to build safer, healthier futures for our youth.

But we can’t do this alone.

We need our community — including neighbors, educators, artists, business owners, faith leaders, parents, and partners — to join us in this effort. Your support, your voice, and your presence matter. Whether it’s joining a focus group, spreading the word, mentoring a young person, or simply sharing this post, your action helps strengthen this shift.

Let’s pivot together — because prevention isn’t one lane, it’s the whole court.

Contact Jada Young, Coordinator @  jadayoung.boys.styc@gmail.com   for available volunteer positions (Bet on Yourself campaign- Youth gambling prevention & awareness)

Contact Andrea Cook, Coordinator @ amanierre@styc.com for available volunteer positions (Substance awareness & prevention)

Angela Hollingsworth, Executive Director

Prevention Displaced: When the Work Has No Home

The work of prevention—of substance use, of violence, of suicide—can’t pause because a lease ends. And yet, here we are. STYC, a coalition built on 10 years of youth-centered advocacy, education, and intervention, has been displaced from our physical space to make room for an affordable housing development. We support housing deeply. We recognize the importance of providing stable housing for the families in our service area. But it’s also true that prevention work needs a place to live, too.

We serve neighborhoods where trauma lives, where opportunity feels miles away, and where youth are making life-and-death decisions without enough guidance or support. Yet, in the very area where we are needed most, there's no office space available for us to continue that work.
STYC isn’t a large nonprofit with deep pockets or national branding. We are small, rooted, and nimble. Our power has always come from the people—the youth advocates who run workshops, the parents who show up, the partners who step forward because they believe in community-based solutions.

A space isn’t just a space. It’s where a teen confesses they’re struggling. It’s where we distribute gun safes and medicine lockboxes. It’s where we design workshops, practice refusal skills, plan retail compliance checks, record the Bet on Yourself podcast, and brainstorm PSA campaigns. It’s where prevention becomes real, local, and tangible.

Today, we’re putting it out into the universe: STYC needs a home.
We need a home that is ours. We’re calling on anyone—landowners, developers, community-minded businesses, nonprofits, and even faith organizations—who believe that youth in West Louisville deserve more. Not more surveillance. Not more consequences. More prevention. More care. More community.

If you have a vacant structure or vacant land… if you believe in the power of youth to transform a community… if you’ve been looking for a meaningful way to invest in long-term change—let’s talk. Help us keep prevention rooted in the community it was built for.

STYC was never just a location. It was always a movement. But movements still need doors to walk through, tables to sit at, and whiteboards to dream on. If you can help, or know someone who can, reach out. And if not, please share this post. Sometimes, the universe listens through the people who read and respond.

Contact Info
Angela Hollingsworth, Executive Director
📧 ahollingsworth.styc@gmail.com

Kim Telesford Mapp, Chair
📧 ktmapp@gmail.com

🌐 Website: https://STYCtalks.org
📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stycyouthadvocates/

Contributor’s Note: Bonnie Taylor, MSW, LCSW, is a dedicated Mental Health Therapist based in Louisville, KY, specializing in trauma care for youth and adults. With a deep commitment to community well-being, she has been collaborating with STYC for the past two years, offering her expertise and support wherever needed.

Let’s Stop Normalizing Underage Drinking—And Start Normalizing Responsibility

The recent emergency suspension of a Germantown bar—where more than 100 underage patrons were reportedly present and actively drinking—has stirred concern across our city. Rightfully so. But for many of us working on the front lines of prevention, this isn’t a surprising event. It’s a consequence of what happens when prevention is not prioritized.

At STYC, we’ve seen what happens when underage drinking is dismissed as a rite of passage. And we’ve seen what can happen when a community says “enough.” That’s why, for nearly 10 years, we’ve been conducting compliance checks with local retailers to ensure that alcohol and tobacco aren’t being sold to youth. Our coalition includes youth leaders, parents, law enforcement, and community partners who believe that access to substances should never be this easy—or this common.

These checks aren’t about punishment. They’re about prevention.
They are reminders to businesses that they play a role in the safety of our children. They also help catch problems before they escalate to impaired driving, arrests, or emergency suspensions. We’ve worked with many retailers who welcome the accountability and want to be part of the solution. But we’ve also seen businesses that repeatedly ignore the law—creating environments that attract teens looking for easy access and little consequence.

And that’s part of the problem: the consequences aren’t strong enough.
An emergency shutdown sounds like a big deal, but too often, these establishments reopen under new management or with a different name, while the culture that enabled the violations stays the same. Without lasting accountability or systemic deterrents, the message to others is clear: you might get caught, but the disruption is temporary. Our young people deserve more than temporary fixes.

FIRST OFFENSE FINES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. Clerks selling tobacco to a minor                                    $100.00
2. Vending machine violations                                            $250.00           
3. Not having a signed statement from the clerk                 $100.00
4. Not having a warning to a minor sign posted                  $100.00                                                   
5. Giving free tobacco products to minors                          $1,000.00

To parents: Your concern is valid. You shouldn’t have to wonder which establishments your child might be able to walk into and be served alcohol.

To city officials: Prevention is public safety. Support for compliance efforts must be more than reactive. It must be built into our long-term public health and safety strategies.

To Neighbors across Jefferson County: if it feels like underage drinking has become normalized, that’s because in some places, it has. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

STYC is committed to working with the community, not against it.
We welcome collaboration with businesses, offer educational resources, and involve youth in the solution. Because when young people lead and adults follow through, change happens. Let’s stop being shocked by these headlines and start making sure they don’t happen in the first place.

Our youth deserve better than a loophole culture. They deserve protection, partnership, and a community that values prevention as much as we do enforcement.

   What You Need To Know

• 21st in Germantown at 1481 S. Shelby St. has been shut down for various violations


• Louisville Metro Alcoholic Beverage Control cited the business for over-service and underage drinking


• The establishment is closed until further notice

   

Contributor’s Note: Bonnie Taylor, MSW, LCSW, is a dedicated Mental Health Therapist based in Louisville, KY, specializing in trauma care for youth and adults. With a deep commitment to community well-being, she has been collaborating with STYC for the past two years, offering her expertise and support wherever needed.

In Memoriam – Luther Brown (1959–2019)

The world is constantly changing—some changes are positive, others challenging. STYC has experienced these changes firsthand as we enter our tenth and final year of the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grant. Completing a decade of federally funded work is a significant achievement, marked by rigorous reporting, demonstrating outcomes, and unwavering dedication to the community.

Throughout this journey, Luther Brown served as the glue that held STYC together. Serving first as co-chair and later as chairperson of the executive board, Luther demonstrated an exceptional passion for community improvement and violence prevention. He coordinated "Stop the Bleed" workshops, distributed gun locks, and facilitated "Too Good for Drugs and Violence" trainings across the community.

Luther rarely missed a meeting, always ensuring he was thoroughly prepared to address community needs and explore how STYC could meet those needs effectively. His dedication to the youth advocates was profound, and his legacy continues to inspire. In recognition of Luther’s impact, the training and conference room where STYC meets now bears his name, as does the highest honor in the Seven Counties Services Real Action Video contest.

Luther was also deeply committed to policy advocacy, representing STYC at national forums and CADCA conferences. His passion and dedication continue to live on, particularly in the youth advocates who actively engage legislators, including their recent advocacy visit to the state capitol in February.

The community remains grateful for Luther Brown’s lasting contributions. His legacy endures, and the vital work of STYC continues.  

Washington, DC 2017 Kamala Harris (center)

announces her run for president, Luther to 

the left.  STYC Advocates in the background

Frankfort, KY 2018 Lt. Gov

Jenean Hampton (right) presents Luther (left)

with a Service Award.