Skip to content
NOWCAST WLKY News at Noon
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

7-year-old boy is 5th family member killed in nearly a year

Dequante Hobbs died Sunday night after being struck by a stray bullet in the Russell neighborhood.

7-year-old boy is 5th family member killed in nearly a year

Dequante Hobbs died Sunday night after being struck by a stray bullet in the Russell neighborhood.

WEBVTT YOUNG RELATIVES HAVE ALSO BEENMURDERED.>> EVERY DAY I COME OUT OF MYHOUSE, I'M WORRIED.IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE IT IS INTHIS WEST END, I'M WORRIED.WHETHER IT BE PUTTING THEM ONTHE BUS AT 7:30 IN THE MORNINGOR PICKING THEM UP OFF THE BUS.IT'S SCARY.REPORTER: IN A SECTION OFLOUISVILLE MARRED BY VIOLENCE -->> YOU THINK BEING IN YOUR OWNHOME YOU'RE SAFE, AND YOU'RENOT.REPORTER: THIS MOTHER OF TWODOESN'T WANT TO BE IDENTIFIEDOUT OF FEAR OF WHAT COULDHAPPEN.>> THIS USED TO BE A BEAUTIFULPLACE, THE WEST END.NOW NOBODY WANTS TO LIVE HERE NOMORE.REPORTER: THIS HOUSE IN THE 2100BLOCK OF WEST MADISON STREETBECAME A CRIME SCENE SUNDAYNIGHT, WHEN 7-YEAR-OLD DEQUANTEHOBBS WAS STRUCK BY A STRAYBULLET WHILE EATING A PIECE OFCAKE AT HIS KITCHEN TABLE.THE BULLET CAME FROM THE GUN OFSOMEONE OUTSIDE OF THE HOME.>> THERE'S NO UNDERSTANDING INTHAT, PERIOD.THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR THAT.THERE'S NO REASON FOR THAT. THE HOBBS' FAMILY HAS SEEN ITSSHARE OF TRAGEDY, LOSING FOURTEENS AND DEQUANTE TO HOMICIDEIN NEARLY A YEAR.BROTHERS LARRY ORDWAY ANDMAURICE GORDON WERE COUSINS DEQUANTE, AND THEY WERE STABBEDAND BURNED LAST MAY.TROYVONTE HURT'S MOM ANDDEQUANTE'S MOTHER ARE FIRSTCOUSINS.TROYVONTE WAS KILLED IN ADRIVE-BY SHOOTING IN AUGUST. AND JAYLIN HOBBS, KILLED ONDERBY DAY, WAS THE LITTLE BOY'SCOUSIN, TOO.FOR THE PEOPLE WHO CALL WESTLOUISVILLE HOME, NONE OF ITMAKES SENSE.THEY'RE HOPING DEQUANTE HOBBS'DEATH WILL BE A WAKEUP CALL, >> IT'S THESE THUGS.THESE WANNABE THUGS.I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TRYINGTO PROVE.
Advertisement
7-year-old boy is 5th family member killed in nearly a year

Dequante Hobbs died Sunday night after being struck by a stray bullet in the Russell neighborhood.

A 7-year-old boy who died after being shot by a stray bullet was the fifth young person in his family to be the victim of a homicide. Dequante Hobbs died Sunday night after a bullet went through his kitchen window and struck him while he was eating a piece of cake. Family members said he is the fifth person in their family to be killed in nearly a year. Last May the boy's cousins, Larry Ordway and Maurice Gordon were stabbed and burned. In August, Troyvonte Hurt was killed in a drive-by shooting. Hurt's mother is the first cousin of Hobbs' mom. On Derby day of 2017, Dequante's cousin, Jaylin Hobbs was shot and killed in the Chickasaw neighborhood. "Every day I come out of my house I'm worried. It doesn't matter where it is in this west end, I'm worried," a mother of two told WLKY. The young mother asked not to be identified out of fear of what could happen. She has lived in West Louisville her entire life. "This used to be a beautiful place, the west end. Now nobody wants to live here," she said. Deaquante Hobbs was struck by a stray bullet Sunday night while he was inside his house in the 2100 block of West Madison Street. The bullet came from the gun of someone outside of the home. Investigators said there was a fight outside of the home and someone started shooting. "There's no understanding in that, period. There's no excuse for that. There's no reason for that," Georgia Corcoran said. Dequante Hobbs was going to celebrate his promotion to second grade on Tuesday. Now, his family will honor his life with a balloon release. The balloon release is scheduled for 6:30p.m. Tuesday in the 2100 block of West Madison Street. Police do not have any suspects in this case. Hobbs' death is the 44th criminal homicide investigation of the year for the Louisville Metro Police Department.

A 7-year-old boy who died after being shot by a stray bullet was the fifth young person in his family to be the victim of a homicide.

Dequante Hobbs died Sunday night after a bullet went through his kitchen window and struck him while he was eating a piece of cake.

Advertisement

Related Content

Family members said he is the fifth person in their family to be killed in nearly a year.

Last May the boy's cousins, Larry Ordway and Maurice Gordon were stabbed and burned. In August, Troyvonte Hurt was killed in a drive-by shooting. Hurt's mother is the first cousin of Hobbs' mom. On Derby day of 2017, Dequante's cousin, Jaylin Hobbs was shot and killed in the Chickasaw neighborhood.

"Every day I come out of my house I'm worried. It doesn't matter where it is in this west end, I'm worried," a mother of two told WLKY.

The young mother asked not to be identified out of fear of what could happen. She has lived in West Louisville her entire life.

"This used to be a beautiful place, the west end. Now nobody wants to live here," she said.

Deaquante Hobbs was struck by a stray bullet Sunday night while he was inside his house in the 2100 block of West Madison Street.

WLKY-TV
WLKY- Carolyn Callahan

Balloons and a stuffed animal placed outside of the home where Dequante Hobbs was shot. 

The bullet came from the gun of someone outside of the home. Investigators said there was a fight outside of the home and someone started shooting.

"There's no understanding in that, period. There's no excuse for that. There's no reason for that," Georgia Corcoran said.

Dequante Hobbs was going to celebrate his promotion to second grade on Tuesday. Now, his family will honor his life with a balloon release.

The balloon release is scheduled for 6:30p.m. Tuesday in the 2100 block of West Madison Street.

Police do not have any suspects in this case.

Hobbs' death is the 44th criminal homicide investigation of the year for the Louisville Metro Police Department.