Two people were killed in a shocking shooting incident at Richmond Road Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, on Sunday, which appears to have been initiated by a gunman who had previously shot a police officer. The victims, a 72-year-old woman and a 32-year-old woman, were fatally wounded in the attack, while two male parishioners sustained injuries, according to law enforcement officials.
Kentucky State Police reported that the assailant, who was ultimately shot dead by police responding to the situation, had known connections to some church members. The sequence of events began around 11:36 a.m. local time (15:36 GMT) with a traffic stop initiated near Blue Grass Airport, which lies in Fayette County.
Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers confirmed that a state trooper had pulled over the suspect’s vehicle after receiving an alert on the registration plate. During this traffic stop, the suspect shot the trooper before fleeing the scene in a carjacked vehicle, leading law enforcement on a chase towards the church, roughly 16 miles (25 km) away.
The injured police officer is currently in stable condition and receiving medical treatment. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear expressed his grief through social media, stating, "violence like this has no place in our commonwealth or country". The community is now grappling with the aftermath of this tragic event, reflecting on the broader issues of gun violence in the United States.
