Council member recounts Windburn-area shooting, urges Windburn extension and youth programming

Council Member Morton told colleagues at the Sept. 18 Lexington Urban County Council meeting that a shooting earlier that day in the Windburn neighborhood left residents and students shaken and reinforced the urgency of transportation and public-safety improvements.

Morton said the shooting produced a wide ripple effect: residents found bullet holes in homes and Windburn Middle School students experienced a lockdown. He said the attack turned concerns raised earlier that week at a neighborhood association meeting into reality and emphasized that neighborhood access issues make the Windburn extension an important priority for safety and emergency response.

Morton said he and Council Member Brown are advocating to speed the Windburn extension through the administrative process. He also called for comprehensive youth programming — including leadership development, year-round employment and educational support — to address root causes of violence and to reach those most at risk. Morton said his heart goes out to those directly and indirectly affected by the incident.

Council members acknowledged the report during the announcements section, and Morton urged the administration to continue work on the extension and on community supports. The administration did not provide a detailed timeline during the meeting; Morton said he understood the administration was working “as hard as it can” to advance the project.

The remarks were presented as a council-member announcement rather than a formal agenda item; no votes were taken on the Windburn extension during the Sept. 18 meeting. Morton asked the community to support longer-term strategies targeted at poverty reduction and youth services as part of a comprehensive public-safety response.