Memorial fund created for family of KY 15-year-old shot and killed
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Doves of Gateway and Citizens Bank established a memorial fund for Nunez family.
- Luis Nunez Lopez was killed intervening in alleged assault; suspect faces charges.
- Louisville revised its immigration detainer policy to comply with federal law.
A memorial fund has been created for the Rowan County family affected by a fatal shooting that left a 15-year-old boy dead and his sister fighting for her life in the hospital.
The fund was created by DOVES of Gateway, a shelter that helps domestic violence victims in Bath, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan and Rowan counties. The shelter said it has partnered with the Citizens Banks in Morehead to create the Nunez Family Memorial Fund, with money donated to the account going to the Nunez family to pay for medical bills and funeral expenses.
“We grieve alongside the Nunez family and stand with them in this time of heartbreak,” the shelter said in a Facebook post.
Luis Jocsan Nanez Lopez, a soon-to-be sophomore at Rowan County High School, was shot and killed in the incident July 20 at a triplex on West Sun Street in Morehead. His sister was also shot and sent to a hospital, where she remains in critical condition, according to the shelter.
Luis was shot after intervening in the sexual assault of his mother. Gildardo Martinez, 36, is accused of trying to sexually assault the woman, his girlfriend, and shooting her two children.
Martinez was arrested hours after the incident and charged with murder, first-degree assault and attempted rape, according to police. He has a federal immigration detainer after entering the United States illegally in 2021, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Tonya Thoroughman, manager of branch administration at the Citizens Bank, said the shelter’s executive director, Kelli Petronella, reached out to her to help set up the memorial fund account.
It was an easy decision for Thoroughman to collaborate.
“I just said yes without thinking, because in these types of situations — we’re deeply rooted in the community, and so with this kind of situation, you’re just empathetic to the part of you that wants to do whatever you can,” Thoroughman said.
“Our community is so giving and so helpful, so it was really not even a second thought.”
The shelter oversees the fund while the bank collects the deposits and places them into the account.
The account was opened Wednesday night and the bank started receiving calls from people first thing Thursday morning, Thoroughman said. Cash donations or checks can be sent directly to the bank or dropped off at 114 W. Main St. in Morehead.
Donors are encouraged to write “Nunez Family Memorial Fund” on the cash envelope or the check’s memo line. Thoroughman said she and Petronella hope to create an online portal for people to donate soon.
“We wanted to be as accommodating as we could to get people to donate to them,” Thoroughman said.
Thoroughman said they will keep the account open for as long as it’s needed.
“We definitely empathize with the mother and the daughter, and prayers that things look good for the daughter and that things come out for the better,” Thoroughman said.
