Church shooting leaves 2 dead, 2 injured; suspect shot and killed by police
A suspect allegedly shot a Kentucky State Police trooper near the Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, KY, and then fled to a church, where the suspect shot four people before police shot and killed the suspect, officials said at a Lexington Police Department press conference late Sunday afternoon.
Two of the churchgoers, both women, were killed, officials said. The other two victims, both male, were taken to the hospital for treatment. One of them is in critical condition while the other is stable, according to officials.
"Something like this has a huge impact on our community," Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said during the press conference.
The incident occurred at approximately 11:36 a.m. on Sunday when a suspect "shot a trooper and then fled the scene," Kentucky State Police said in a statement.
The suspect shot the trooper on Terminal Drive, adjacent to the Blue Grass Airport, then fled to the Richmond Road Baptist church, according to the Lexington Police Department.
The gunman was able to escape by carjacking a vehicle, police said during the press conference.
Officers were able to track the suspect's vehicle, leading them to the church, where the suspect shot four individuals. The two women -- a 72-year-old and a 32-year-old -- were pronounced dead at the scene, and the two men were transported to the hospital.
The trooper wounded in the shooting is also receiving medical attention, according to the agencies, with the Lexington Police Department statement saying that the trooper "is in stable condition."
The suspect was shot by responding law enforcement and was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. The identity of the shooter will be provided once the suspect's family has been notified, police said.
Officials said they believe that the suspect had a connection to individuals at the church. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear.
A official briefed on the investigation told ABC News that the suspect had a history of mental health, drug and anger issues. He had had a domestic situation with an ex-girlfriend who then filed protection orders against him, the official said.
Coroner Gary Ginn said the majority of the people at the church were related biologically or "have been friends for many years."
"It's a tight-knit group of people," Ginn said during the press conference.
Lexington police said in an earlier statement that officers had "temporarily closed some roads nearby" the incident and that authorities will "remain in the area until the investigation is complete."
MORE: Reward increased for suspect accused of killing congressional intern
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement that he is "heartbroken" regarding the news of the two deaths.
"Violence like this has no place in our commonwealth or country. Kentucky, let's stand strong together and support our Lexington neighbors during this difficult time," Beshear said in a post shared on X.
Police said they will provide more information on the incident "as it becomes available."
ABC News' Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
28 minutes ago
- CNN
Justice Department ethics chief says he was fired
The Justice Department has fired at least a dozen employees in recent weeks who at one time worked with former special counsel Jack Smith, ranging from a senior ethics official to low-level support staff, sources familiar with matter tell CNN. The firings indicate that the Trump administration is still searching high and low for any person who had a hand in the special counsel's work, which resulted in two federal indictments against Donald Trump. Both cases were dismissed once he was reelected. Trump has long said that Smith's investigations amounted to a political 'witch hunt,' and vowed to go after anyone who led or helped in that effort. Several career prosecutors on the cases have already been fired. Joseph Tirrell, who until last week was responsible for advising Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche directly on ethics matters, posted a short letter advising him of his dismissal that did not provide a rationale for the termination. Tirrell had been director of the departmental ethics office since July 2023, according to DOJ. 'Until Friday evening, I was the senior ethics attorney at the Department of Justice responsible for advising the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General directly on federal employee ethics,' Tirrell wrote on LinkedIn. 'I was also responsible for the day-to-day operations of the ethics program across the Department.' He added: 'My public service is not over, and my career as a Federal civil servant is not finished. I took the oath at 18 as a Midshipman to 'support and defend the Constitution of the United States'… That oath did not come with the caveat that I need only support the Constitution when it is easy or convenient.' The Justice Department and Tirrell have not responded to CNN's requests for comment.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Farmer killed in water buffalo attack, Oklahoma police say
JONES, Okla. (AP) — A farmer in a rural suburb outside of Oklahoma City was fatally attacked by a pair of water buffaloes he purchased at a livestock auction a day earlier, police said. Bradley McMichael, a farmer in the small town of Jones suffered deep lacerations in the attack Friday night, Jones Police Chief Bryan Farrington said in a statement. The animals were so aggressive that first responders couldn't get to the victim at first, he said. One water buffalo was euthanized immediately and the other was put down after it became increasingly agitated and threatening, Farrington said. Police say they believe McMichael had purchased the two animals a day earlier and became trapped inside in an enclosure while he was tending to them. McMichael's former wife, Amy Smith, said caring for livestock was his passion. 'The cattle farming, that's his thing,' Smith told television station KFOR. "He's been here his whole life, and he's done that his whole life. 'So he's an experienced cattle handler and a farmer.' Although water buffalo are not commonly raised in the U.S., they are known for their milk production and lean cuts of beef, according to the Arkansas Farm Bureau.
CBS News
29 minutes ago
- CBS News
Jury picked for trial of man charged with shooting, killing Chicago police Officer Andrés Mauricio Vásquez Lasso
A jury was impaneled Monday for the trial of the man accused in the murder of Chicago police Officer Andrés Mauricio Vásquez Lasso. Officer Vásquez Lasso was shot and killed on the job back in March 2023. The now-21-year-old defendant, Steven Montano, was 18 at the time of the shooting. On March 1, 2023, Vásquez Lasso officer was responding to a call about a domestic incident near Montano's home in the Southwest Side's Gage Park neighborhood. Prosecutors from the Cook County State's Attorney's office said Montano's 37-year-old girlfriend called 911 after he threatened her with a gun. Montano jumped out of a window, into the gangway, and ran back toward the alley to get away from responding officers, according to prosecutors. An officer saw an object in Montano's hands, believing it was a gun. Montano kept running through neighboring yards and eventually past Sidney Sawyer Elementary School, at 5247 S. Spaulding Ave. That was where Officer Vásquez Lasso got out of his squad car and chased Montano through a gate — entering the schoolyard area, prosecutors said. Officer Vásquez Lasso ordered Montano to stop multiple times, prosecutors said. Eventually, Montano turned toward Vásquez Lasso while racking the slide on his pistol and pointed the gun at him, according to prosecutors. Both fired their guns, prosecutors said. Vásquez Lasso was shot in the head, arm, and leg and killed. Montano was shot in the mouth and fully recovered. He faces a first-degree murder charge, as well as charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and opening fire near a school building. The woman involved maintains she did not call 911 and says she was not threatened. During voir dire for jury selection on Monday, potential jurors were questioned about the type of TV they watch, their relationship and family dynamics, and whether they have family members in law enforcement. The judge told jurors to expect for this case to take about a week. They will be Tuesday morning for opening statements.
