LOUISVILLE, KY − A series of shootings in Kentucky on July 13 killed two people and injured three others, including a state trooper, according to authorities.
At approximately 11:36 a.m. ET in Lexington, Kentucky, local police responded to a report of a shooting involving a Kentucky State Police trooper on Terminal Drive. The road passes Blue Grass Airport in Fayette County.
At a news conference, Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers stated that the state trooper stopped a vehicle on the road after receiving a license plate reader alert. The suspect shot the trooper, fled the scene, and then carjacked a vehicle.
Weathers reported that the state trooper was in stable condition and receiving medical treatment. There were no injuries reported during the carjacking incident.
Officers tracked the vehicle down to the Richmond Road Baptist Church, where the suspect opened fire on members of the congregation. Weathers said four people were shot, including two women who were pronounced dead on the scene and two men who were taken to a local hospital.
Beverly Gumm, 72, and Kristina Combs, 32, were identified as the two victims killed by Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn, according to the Louisville Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY network. According to the police chief, one of the victims was critically injured, while the other was reported to be in stable condition.
Lexington police shot and killed the suspect, who could not be identified immediately. Weathers stated that three officers fired their service weapons in accordance with department policies.
“Preliminary information indicates that the suspect may have had a connection to the individuals at the church,” according to Weathers. “The suspect was shot by responding law enforcement and was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Fayette County Coroner describes church as a tight-knit community
The county coroner stated that the investigation is still ongoing and that a few hundred people were working the crime scene.
Ginn stated that his office responded to the Richmond Road Baptist Church, which is about 16 miles southeast of the Blue Grass Airport and on the outskirts of Lexington, at 12:56 p.m.
“This church was a small church,” Ginn stated during the news conference. “The vast majority of those who attend the church are biologically related in some way.
If not, they have been friends for a very long time. So it’s a very close-knit community at Richmond Baptist Church.”
He added that the victims’ families were present at the church when the shooting took place, and the coroner’s office was able to notify them of the two deaths.
Shooting involving state trooper not tied to Blue Grass Airport
Earlier on July 13, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear stated in a social media post that a state trooper was among those injured in a series of shooting incidents.
Kentucky State Police announced on X that the agency and the Lexington Police Department were “able to secure the suspect,” who died.
State police confirmed that there were multiple victims at the church, and emergency personnel were on the scene. At least one trooper is “receiving medical attention,” according to police.
In a separate statement to X, the Lexington Police Department stated that an officer was involved in the church shooting. The police department also stated that the previous shooting, in which a state trooper was shot, occurred on Terminal Drive.
“While that shooting occurred on Terminal Drive, it was unrelated to the Blue Grass Airport,” the police department stated. Earlier, the airport reported a law enforcement investigation “impacting a portion of Terminal Drive,” but later stated that all flights and operations were running normally.
During the news conference, Weathers reiterated that the shooting was unrelated to Blue Grass Airport and did not take place inside the airport terminal.
‘Please pray for everyone affected by these senseless acts of violence’
Several state officials expressed condolences and prayers for those affected by the incident. In his statement on X, Beshear requested prayers for those killed and injured in the incident.
“Please pray for everyone affected by these senseless acts of violence, and let’s give thanks for the swift response by the Lexington Police Department and Kentucky State Police,” according to the governor.
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman declared that the “attack on law enforcement and people of faith in Lexington shocked the entire Commonwealth.”
“Today, violence invaded the Lord’s House,” Coleman said in a statement. “We attend houses of worship to fellowship, unite in faith, and reach out to our Creator. In light of this tragedy, we turn to God and pray for the injured trooper and their families.”
Kentucky State Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe said she was praying for the community and the law enforcement agencies that responded to the shootings.
“When violence occurs in places where we gather to worship and serve, it shakes us deeply. “But even in times of grief, I believe in the healing power of faith, prayer, and community,” Mays Bledsoe said on X.
To everyone who is hurting right now, know that you are being prayed for. As Kentuckians and people of faith, we will walk forward with love, courage, and the unwavering belief that light will triumph over darkness.”