Louisville police investigate fatal pre-dawn shooting in Shawnee neighborhood after ShotSpotter alert on South 38th Street

What happened

A man was shot and killed early Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, in Louisville’s Shawnee neighborhood, prompting a homicide investigation by Louisville Metro Police.

Officers were dispatched at about 3:35 a.m. to the 600 block of South 38th Street after gunfire was detected by the city’s ShotSpotter acoustic detection system. Police said responding officers found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene, before he could be transported to a hospital.

Investigation status

As of Saturday morning, police had not announced any suspects or arrests. The department’s Homicide Unit is leading the investigation.

Police have not released the victim’s identity, pending notification of next of kin. Authorities also have not disclosed a possible motive, whether the shooting occurred outdoors or inside a structure, or whether investigators believe the shooting was targeted.

Why ShotSpotter matters in the response

The initial call for service came through ShotSpotter, a technology used in parts of Louisville to detect and map the location of suspected gunfire. In practice, such alerts can generate rapid police response even when no 911 call is placed, but the system does not identify shooters and cannot determine the circumstances surrounding a shooting without follow-up investigation.

Recent context in Shawnee

The Shawnee neighborhood has seen multiple shooting investigations in recent years, including cases in which gunfire was reported or detected in residential blocks and near community landmarks. Earlier this year, police investigated a separate shooting in the Shawnee area in which a victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Saturday’s homicide adds to the workload of investigators who have continued to track shooting incidents citywide, where outcomes can range from non-fatal injuries to fatal violence depending on the event’s circumstances and medical response time.

What police are asking from the public

Police are asking anyone with information—such as surveillance video, doorbell camera footage, or firsthand observations from the area around South 38th Street during the pre-dawn hours—to contact the Louisville Metro Police anonymous tip line at 502-574-LMPD (5673) or submit tips through the department’s online crime tip portal.

• Date and time: About 3:35 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026

• Location: 600 block of South 38th Street, Shawnee neighborhood

• Status: Homicide investigation ongoing; no suspects announced Saturday morning

If you have information connected to the shooting, police say you can provide it anonymously through the department’s tip line or online portal.