Father of slain Louisville student: She died a hero

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The grieving father of a slain University of Louisville student said his daughter was pushing others out of harm’s way when she was shot during a rap concert inside an art gallery over the weekend.

Savannah Walker, 20, died after she was shot in the chest early Sunday at the Tim Faulkner Gallery in downtown Louisville, news outlets reported. Five others were injured.

The victim’s father, Dean Walker, said his daughter died a hero and was pushing her friends out of the way. The coroner told him his daughter was still standing when she was shot.

“She always thought about other people,” he said.

Savannah Walker played club lacrosse and was on the school’s debate team. She was initially supposed to be out of town for a debate but opted to stay home as she was coping with the Feb. 18 death of her mother, who had pancreatic cancer, The Courier-Journal reported (http://cjky.it/2nGLa5T).

Louisville police haven’t said what prompted the violence or whether there were multiple shooters. There have been no arrests and police have not publicly said whether they have identified any suspects.

Off-duty police officers were working security for the concert, which featured a New York City hip-hop artist known as A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.

Dean Walker questioned how one or more people got into the concert with weapons.

“I don’t want to blame,” he said. “It’s easy to point fingers because we’re hurting. I want to know what actually happened. I do not want this to happen to another family.”