LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After a gunman fatally shot a Louisville student at a school bus stop in 2021, one man turned that tragedy into a mission to protect children as they wait for the bus each morning.
Men Against Gun Violence places volunteers at Louisville school bus stops to help deter violence and protect students
The group formed after a 2021 shooting killed a student at a bus stop and later a woman near Central High School
Volunteers like parent Frank Leonti stand at bus stops every day to offer a visible, protective presence for kids
Founder Kamal Wells says the organization wants more volunteers to expand to additional bus stops this year
The violence prevention group Men Against Gun Violence has steadily grown since it began.
Frank Leonti stands at 10th Street and Chestnut Street, rain or shine, to make sure kids stay safe as they head to school.
“This is my kids’ bus stop. And I am an advocate for the community since I’ve been doing this,” Leonti said.
“A lot of kids that come through, and it’d be a swarm of kids — 150 or 180 kids come to this bus stop,” Leonti said.
He joined Men Against Gun Violence after the Louisville Metro Police Department reported last August that someone shot and killed a woman near S. 11th and W. Chestnut streets outside Central High School.
“The shootings happened in broad daylight with kids around. My kids was at this bus stop. I was out here. A lady that died. How? Kids was out here. Anybody could get hit. And who else is it? Be out here with the kids. I wasn’t going to be out here anyway, so I might as well just stood out here,” Leonti said.
Kamal Wells launched Men Against Gun Violence after a 2021 bus stop shooting. The organization sends volunteers to student bus stops to discourage violence.
“People are dying every day. And what happens is the community often shrinkles to the bus stops,” Wells said.
Wells said the group focuses on building real connections with kids to help prevent senseless violence.
“What happens at the bus stops affects the kids. That affects their education, affects the mental state and everything else,” Wells said.
Their work aims to create a safe environment, especially for children waiting alone.
“Out here with the kids because a lot of these children don’t have the parents that come out here with the bus stop,” Leonti said.
Wells said the group is looking for more volunteers so it can expand its presence and protect additional bus stops this year.
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