LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — There was a layer of irony as thick as Kentucky’s July humidity during this morning’s press event inside the Fayette County School District offices.
Mayor Linda Gorton handed over a check in the amount of $13,000 as part of a grant for the One Lexington program, which was launched by her office to help combat the city’s gun problem. 12 hours earlier, however, Lexington recorded its first homicide of 2023.
“I’m a grandmother and it really hurts your heart to lose a child or a grandchild,” Mayor Gorton said. “I know that Devine Carama and One Lexington have already connected with her and we’ll do our due diligence to help her,” she said, referencing the victim's grandmother who spoke with LEX 18 Monday night.
Carama, the man who leads One Lexington, couldn’t speak specifically about the victim, Marquis Tompkins Jr., or his family, but did say that fixing the problems once symptoms present is not the answer. It’s why his One Lexington initiative is getting into homes before problems arise. So far, the city has seen a 50% reduction in gun violence among people ages 13-29.
“Food insecurities, education disparity, gentrification, red-lining, all of the things we were talking about in 2020 are the root cause of some of the things we’re seeing now,” he explained.
Tompkins had a somewhat troubled past, which included run-ins with the law, but city leaders know his life did not have to end on Toner Street Monday night.
“We are praying for that family, and we hope it doesn’t start a trend,” Mayor Gorton said.
Lexington was in the midst of a pretty good trend until Monday night, especially coming off a year during which the city set a record with 44 deaths due to violent crimes.
“That was the talk the last couple of days. The longest stint without a homicide in ten years. This is the first homicide of the year, but for us it doesn’t matter,” Carama said.
