Three men died Sunday afternoon outside an apartment complex near Berry Boulevard, bringing Louisville's number of criminal homicides to nine as we near the end of the first quarter of 2013.The shooting appears to have followed a drug deal, said Lt. Barry Wilkerson, the Louisville Metro Police Homicide Unit commander.Louisville Metro Police detectives believe that no other people were involved in the shootings besides the victims, Wilkerson said. The victims are identified as Kevan A. Tandy (age 31), Rayshawn Stovall (23) and Mark A. Fields (23), reports WHAS-11, citing the coroner's office.Police found Fields and Stovall shot inside a vehicle; Tandy was found shot on the ground, Wilkerson said. Homicide detectives continue their investigation; they're not looking for any other suspects but are asking that witnesses call the police anonymous tipline, 574-LMPD.In 2012, Louisville Metro Police were investigating seven homicides by this point in the year.Here's a map of showing all of 2013's homicides—including the names of victims and whether charges have been filed:It's not often when more than two people are killed in the same incident. It happened twice last year. In July, a mother and her two young sons were fatally shot in their Maravian Drive home. The boys' father was arrested and charged in those shootings. In May, Craig Bland Jr. and Tyson Mimms were fatally shot on South 32nd Street in the Parkland neighborhood.Soon after, Makeba Lee was fatally shot as police worked the crime scene. Police charged a woman in Lee's death.The shootings led to a public outcry about violence in Louisville, culminating in Mayor Greg Fischer's creation of a work group to make recommendation about how to make west Louisville safer.Recently, Fischer appointed Anthony Smith to become Louisville's safe neighborhoods director, a new position recommended by the work group.Louisville Metro Police have still not closed the case in the Parkland shooting, Wilkerson said on Monday. He said investigators are still trying to piece together the forensics, which can take time.LMPD Gets New Lead Homicide DetectiveWilkerson will soon be leaving LMPD's Homicide Unit to become the major overseeing the Eighth Division,which covers portions of eastern Jefferson County. He's led the Homicide Unit for about six years, police spokesman Dwight Mitchell said.Lt. Todd Kessinger, of LMPD special operations, will lead the Homicide Unit once Wilkerson departs. Kessinger has been an officer in Louisville for 15 years, Mitchell said.(Image via Shutterstock.)
