Suspect kills 2 women in Kentucky church after shooting state trooper,
police say
[July 14, 2025]
Two women died Sunday at a church in Lexington, Kentucky, in a
shooting rampage that began when a state trooper was wounded after
making a traffic stop, police said. The suspect in both shootings was
also killed.
The suspect carjacked a vehicle after the traffic stop near Lexington's
airport and fled to Richmond Road Baptist Church, where he opened fire,
city Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said. Killed in the shootings at the
church were a 72-year-old woman and a 32-year-old woman, the local
coroner said. |
Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers speaks during a media
conference at Lexington Police headquarters in downtown Lexington, Ky.,
Sunday, July 13, 2025. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader via AP) |
|
Two other people were wounded at the church and taken to a local
hospital, the police chief said. One victim sustained critical
injuries and the other was in stable condition, Weathers said.
The suspect was shot by police and died at the scene, he said.
The suspect was not immediately identified pending notification
of family, he said.
“Preliminary information indicates that the suspect may have had
a connection to the individuals at the church,” the police chief
said at a news conference.
The trooper stopped the vehicle after receiving a “license plate
reader alert” and was shot about 11:30 a.m., Weathers said. The
trooper was in stable condition, he said.
Police tracked the carjacked vehicle to the Baptist church, the
police chief said. The church is about 16 miles 26 kilometers)
from where the trooper was shot.
The shootings remain under investigation, Weathers said.
Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn said the church is home to a
small, tight-knit congregation.
“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,” Kentucky
Gov. Andy Beshear said in a social media post.
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."
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