Dovia Pernell Death, Parkhill Community mourns shooting death of teenage girl in Algonquin
A 15-year-old girl was identified as the victim of a deadly shooting in the Algonquin neighborhood.
Dovia Pernell was found shot, Monday morning, at the Park Hill housing complex. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Louisville Metro Police Department has not made any arrests.
One place Pernell spent her free time was the Parkhill Community Center, where staff remembered the young life lost.
“It’s heart-wrenching. It is heart-wrenching,” said Ben Johnson, Jr., Assistant Director of Recreation for Louisville Parks and Recreation.
Police said Pernell was found lying in a backyard behind Building 43, just a short walk from the community center where Pernell used to meet up with friends.
“Any time I hear about one of those senseless loss of lives, particularly in the vicinity of any of our community centers, I’m like, oh, boy,” said Johnson.
Many of the kids in this gym knew Dovia Pernell as a friend or acquaintance.
Johnson says while teenagers often appear to be coping with loss, on the inside, they aren’t.
“If that was your friend. That was your teammate. If that’s who sat next to you on the bus. Who sat behind you in math? That loss is forever,” Johnson said.
Counseling is available for kids at the Parkhill Community Center who want to talk about the homicide, which occurred nearby.
Staff members may need support, too.
“It’s almost like losing one of your own children,” Johnson said.
Pernell was reported missing on Jan. 24, according to the Lexington Police Department. They still refer to her as a Special Victims case.
It has not been made clear yet what Pernell was doing in Louisville at the time of her death.
If you have any information about this case, you call the LMPD anonymous tip line, 574-5673.