Police identify victim in fatal Louisville protest shooting; suspect in custody

LOUISVILLE. Ky. — Louisville police have apprehended the individual they believe is responsible for a Saturday night shooting that left one man dead during protests against police violence.

Police declined during a Sunday news conference to identify the suspected shooter, believed to have been a protester, but did identify Saturday night’s victim as Tyler Gerth, 27, of Louisville.

According to The New York Times, interim Louisville Metro Police Chief Robert Schroeder said the suspect had been arrested “a couple of times” in the past few weeks, while Mayor Greg Fischer said the suspect had been wounded and is hospitalized.

“In addition to this man, multiple other people in the park were armed at the time of the incident, and our homicide investigators are still working to identify all of the parties who may have fired during the incident,” Schroeder said during the news conference.

According to Fox News, Louisville Metro Police responded to shots fired in Jefferson Square Park within four minutes, and Schroeder shared a surveillance video depicting the moment the gunman opened fire, inciting panic.

Amy Hess, the city’s chief of public services, told the network that protesters will no longer be allowed to camp or set up tents in the park, which has become a focal point for the city’s daily Black Lives Matter protests.

“It’s a safety issue at this point. Over the past several nights we’ve seen increasingly dangerous behavior. We’ve seen several fistfights. We’ve also seen an increasing number of weapons that gave us concern, but all that led up to last night’s activity and last night’s shooting,” Hess said. “But yet, we wanted to balance the First Amendment exercise of free speech, the need to come together, while at the same time understanding that ordinances were in place for a reason, and it was particularly to help protect public safety.”

Meanwhile, Schroeder apologized for the gruff manner in which officers deconstructed the park encampment, calling the actions “less than our standards,” the Times reported.

“The way that property was handled has also caused concern within our community, and I am deeply sorry,” he said.

Cox Media Group