Latest news with #LawrenceWeathers
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Shooting at Kentucky church after traffic stop leaves 3 dead, more injured. Police ID suspect
(This story has been updated with new information.) Three people are dead, including one suspect, and a Kentucky State Police officer and two men are injured after a series of shootings on July 13 near an airport and at a church in Lexington, officials said. A man suspected of shooting a state trooper on Terminal Drive just after 11:30 a.m. was located by law enforcement officers at Richmond Road Baptist Church, Lexington officials said. Lexington police shot and killed the suspect, Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said during a press conference. Three officers fired their weapons at the suspect. The suspect has been identified as Guy House, 47. The trooper is also receiving treatment for their injuries, but is believed to be in stable condition, Weathers said. The shooting on Terminal Drive occurred after a state trooper stopped a vehicle in connection to a license plate reader alert in the area of Versailles Road, Weathers said. The suspect left the scene after the trooper was shot. A short time later, the suspect carjacked a vehicle, which officers were able to track to the 5800 block of Old Richmond Road, Weathers said. The suspect "fired his weapon at individuals on church property." Two women were pronounced dead at the scene, while two men are hospitalized, Weathers said. One man is critical condition, while the other is in stable condition. "Preliminary information indicates the suspect may have had a connection to the individuals at the church," Weathers said. The Fayette County County Coroner's Office identified the deceased women as Beverly Gumm, 72, and Christina Combs, 34. "This church was a small church and the majority of the individuals there are biologically related in some way or another. If not, they've been friends for many, many years," Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn said during the press conference. "They're a very tight-knit group of people." Kentucky State Police and Lexington Police officials are investigating the shootings, Weathers said. The Lexington Police officers involved will be placed on administrative assignment, pending the outcome of the investigation. In a social media post, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear asked residents to "pray for the families of those lost, each one a child of God gone too soon." "Thank you to the Lexington Police Department and the Kentucky State Police for their brave efforts today," Beshear said. "Kentucky, let's stand strong together and support our Lexington neighbors during this difficult time." In a statement, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said the Department of Criminal Investigations would "stand ready to support (KSP and the Lexington Police Department) with whatever they need in the days ahead." "We are grateful to the Kentucky State Police and Lexington Police Department, who courageously ran toward danger to protect this community," Coleman said. "This is another reminder of the grave danger we ask law enforcement to face every single day. We go to houses of worship to gather in fellowship, unite in faith, and reach toward our Creator. In light of this tragedy, we turn to God with our prayers for the injured Trooper and the victims' families." This story may be updated. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Lexington Ky. shooting after carjacking left 3 dead, including suspect
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Suspect in Kentucky church shooting had a domestic violence hearing the next day
Police stand at the front of the Richmond Road Baptist Church as other officers maintain a perimeter following a shooting at the church in Lexington, Ky., Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley) The man accused of a shooting rampage Sunday at a rural Kentucky church after wounding a state trooper had been expected in court Monday for a domestic violence hearing, a local official said. Police say Guy House, 47, shot the trooper during a traffic stop near Lexington's airport, fled in a carjacked vehicle then opened fire at Richmond Road Baptist Church, killing two women and wounding two men before officers fatally shot him. House went to the church looking for the mother of his children but his domestic violence hearing did not involve her, the Lexington Heald-Leader reported, citing a sister of the woman, Rachael Barnes. Matt Ball, a deputy clerk for family court in Fayette County, confirmed to The Associated Press that House had been scheduled for the domestic violence hearing on Monday. Police say Beverly Gumm, 72, and Christina Combs, 34, were killed in the shooting. One of the wounded men was being treated for critical injuries and the other was in stable condition, police said. The trooper was in stable condition, police said. 'Preliminary information indicates that the suspect may have had a connection to the individuals at the church,' Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said at a news conference Sunday. The shootings remain under investigation, Weathers said. The trooper stopped House after receiving a 'license plate reader alert,' police said. A woman who witnessed that shooting said it initially appeared to be a routine traffic stop, with the trooper talking to the suspect through an open window. 'And as we were driving by, I heard, 'pop, pop' and I knew it was gunshots,' Larissa McLaughlin told WLEX-TV in Lexington. Police tracked the carjacked vehicle to the Baptist church about 16 miles (26 kilometres) from where the trooper was shot, police said. Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn said the church is home to a small, tight-knit congregation. In a post on social media, Gov. Andy Beshear said, '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.' State Attorney General Russell Coleman said detectives with his office were ready to support local and state agencies. 'Today, violence invaded the Lord's House,' Coleman said in a statement. 'The attack on law enforcement and people of faith in Lexington shocked the entire Commonwealth.' Bruce Schreiner, The Associated Press
NBC News
3 days ago
- NBC News
Three dead, including gunman, in Kentucky shootings at church and airport
Three people are dead, including the gunman, in a pair of shootings Sunday at Kentucky's Blue Grass Airport and at a storied Lexington church across town, authorities said. The unidentified shooter struck a Kentucky State Police trooper on a terminal road at Blue Grass Airport at 11:36 a.m., Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said. The trooper had pulled the gunman over after having received a license plate reader alert in the area. 'The trooper was shot and the suspect fled,' Weathers said, adding that the trooper was stabilized and receiving treatment. Law enforcement caught up with the shooter at Richmond Road Baptist Church, about 16 miles to the southeast, where he also opened fire, Weathers said. Officers fatally shot the gunman, he said, but not before at least four people at the church were struck, two fatally. 'Preliminary information indicates that the suspect may have had a connection to the individuals at the church,' Weathers said. 'Four individuals were shot on church property.' Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn identified the two women pronounced dead at the scene as Beverly Gumm, 72, and Christina Combs, 32. Social media and public records indicate Gumm was Combs' mother and was married to the church's pastor. Of the two male victims shot at the church, one is in critical condition, while the other was stabilized, Weathers said. Ginn said he had not yet notified the gunman's family of his death so he cannot yet release his identity, which he said is known to police. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear addressed the series of shootings in a post on X. '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,' Beshear wrote. 'Details are still emerging, and we will share more information as available.' The Lexington Fire Department said it responded to a shooting at the airport at 11:39 a.m. and transported one person with 'serious injuries' to the hospital, according to NBC affiliate WLEX of Lexington. Blue Grass Airport confirmed in a statement that an 'incident' occurred on airport property. The airport said that it temporarily closed a roadway and a terminal as a precaution but that they were later reopened. Weathers emphasized the shooting was not related to the airport. He said state troopers, along with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, were assisting Lexington detectives with the investigation. He had nothing on a possible motive but noted that the church is home to a tight-knit group of worshippers. State Attorney General Russell Coleman thanked first responders in a statement and said he was praying for the families. His office was also ready to assist the agencies involved, he added. 'This is another reminder of the grave danger we ask law enforcement to face every single day,' Coleman said. CORRECTION (July 13, 2025, 6:57 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misidentified the Fayette County coroner. He is Gary Ginn, not Bob Baker.
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- RTÉ News
Kentucky shooting kills three, including suspect
A gunman killed two women at a church in Kentucky and shot and wounded a state trooper outside an airport, authorities said. The suspect was later shot and killed by police. The women were killed at the Richmond Road Baptist Church in Lexington. Two men were also wounded there, including one who was in critical condition, Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers told an afternoon press conference. Authorities did not provide the suspect's name or age. "There are days like today that are extremely difficult," Mr Weathers said. "Sometimes things happen, you just don't have a reason why." The suspect fired at the trooper after being pulled over near Blue Grass Airport at about 11.30am in Fayette County, Mr Weathers said. The shooting happened on a road that rings the airport but was not connected to its operations, police said. The trooper was being treated at a nearby hospital and was in stable condition. The suspect then carjacked a vehicle about 16km from the airport and fled to Richmond Road Baptist Church, where the individual began firing at people on the church grounds. Police tracked the location of the carjacked vehicle to the church. The police chief did not offer any motive for the shootings, but said there was some indication that the suspect may have known some of the people at the church. Mr Weathers said Lexington police would conduct an internal review of the shooting, as required by department policies. The Blue Grass Airport posted on X at 1pm local time (6pm Irish time) that there was a law enforcement investigation affecting a portion of an airport road, but that all flights and operations were now proceeding normally.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Lexington Richmond Road Baptist Church shooting suspect identified; police release first details on victims
Lexington police revealed that they have identified the suspect who fired shots at the Blue Grass Airport before fleeing to the Richmond Road Baptist Church on Sunday. Officers further added that two women have died following the incident in Kentucky. Lexington shooting suspect has been identified, officials confirmed on Sunday(Unsplash) The women, who were not identified, are aged 72 and 32, police said. The shooter, who is dead, has also been identified. But police did not release the name, explaining that their family has not been notified yet. Read More: Louisville shooting: Active shooter alert at Kentucky Expo Center and fairground; first video emerges Authorities confirmed that the suspect fled to the church, where two men were shot and injured. The shooter had shot a state trooper near the Blue Grass Airport. Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said the trooper pulled over a vehicle near the airport. After shooting the trooper, the suspect carjacked a vehicle and fled to the church, where they began shooting at people there. The trooper was shot at 11:36 AM in Fayette County, where Lexington is located, state police said. Read More: Huntington shooting: At least 1 shot after gunfire erupts in parking lot Both men from the church were taken to the hospital. One of the victims is in critical condition, and the other is stable. The suspect was later killed by Lexington police. Earlier in teh day, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear issued a statement, asking residents to thank law enforcement for their response to the incidents. '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,' he said in a post on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. The Blue Grass Airport posted on X at 1 p.m. ET (1700 GMT) that there was a law enforcement investigation affecting a portion of an airport road, but that all flights and operations were now proceeding normally. (With inputs from Reuters)
