Last year, 150 people were shot and killed in Louisville.

Hundreds more were shot but survived.

One couple knows all too well the pain gun violence can cause a family.

Krista and Nevada, Gwen lost their 19 year old son, Christian, to a drive by shooter in 2019, and their daughter survived a shooting just two years later.

Kentucky Auditions.

June Leffler asks this family how they feel about stiffer penalties for violent offenders, as outlined in the proposed House Bill five, also known as the Safer Kentucky.

At their thoughts and feelings as we begin tonight's legislative update.

At a recent event at Louisville's Metro Hall, anti-violence advocates shared their stories of loss.

Chris to Gwen can relate.

My son received a gunshot wound from a drive by shooting that we eventually, eight, 18 months later got an arrest for.

But not to our liking.

He's only doing ten years for the killing of our son, which we feel is not just for taking our son's life, but at least it's something he's not walking free like some of these murderers are doing.

We feel as though that if the laws had been different at the time my son was murdered, a shot that the young man that shot my son would not have been walking the streets.

Court records show that young man had already pleaded guilty to more than one felony as a teen.

That's why the Gwen support House Bill five, which would put people who've committed their third violent offense away behind bars for life.

It would also stretch out sentences for the first or second violent offense.

We need things like the Safer Kentucky Act.

It will make these people be pretty reluctant about picking up a gun or even committing the next felony when walking out the front door.

Because let's be honest here.

Half of the people that's committing these heinous crimes have already been off, probably felony probation, probably had some type of misdemeanor probation throughout childhood, things like that.

The Gwen's have worked with Commonwealth prosecutors.

They've sat in the courthouse as they've heard their son's assailant accept a manslaughter plea, having been through that.

They say the justice system needs a change.

The Gwen say investigations and trials should not drag on.

If we're going to convict somebody.

We need to have them in.

We need to get a solid.

We need to get solid evidence.

And we need to commence the conviction.

House Bill five may not speed up the judicial process, but it would impact what happens to alleged offenders as they await trial.

House Bill five limits charitable funds that bail people out.

The bill bans these funds from paying more than $5,000 for a single person or assisting alleged violent offenders.

We don't need a bond.

Those things don't need to be structured around anybody that commits murder, assaults, anything that I would say would hurt someone's loved one.

Christian was 19, working as a security guard when he was shot in a neighborhood park.

These are children killing children.

These are not grown people defending their houses, defending their cars, defending their spouses.

These are children killing children.

In Louisville last year, most people who died by a bullet were under 34 years old.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm June Leffler.

Thank you, June.

The Safer Kentucky Act is waiting for a full vote on the full House floor.