A suspect shot and wounded a state trooper near a Kentucky airport on Sunday before fleeing to a nearby church, killing two women and wounding two men, before being fatally shot.
At 11.36am ET on Sunday an unidentified shooter opened fire near Blue Grass airport in Lexington and wounded a state trooper, according to authorities. The shooting occurred after the trooper had pulled over a vehicle after receiving a licence plate reader alert in the area of Versailles Road, Lexington police said.
The suspect carjacked a vehicle in the 3700 block of Belleau Wood Drive before fleeing the scene. The suspect then fled to Richmond Road Baptist church where four individuals were shot. Two women were pronounced dead at the scene and two other men were transported to a local hospital.
The women killed were aged 72 and 32, the local coroner said. One of the men who was wounded sustained critical injuries while the other was in stable condition, police chief Lawrence Weathers said.
“Preliminary information indicates that the suspect may have had a connection to individuals at the church,” he said. The shootings remained under investigation.
Weathers said the suspect was shot by police and pronounced dead at the scene.
The Fayette county coroner’s office would release information about the deceased victims, police added, while information on the suspect would be released after their family was notified.
A police officer at Richmond Road Baptist church in Lexington, Kentucky, on Sunday. Photograph: Michael Swensen/Getty Images
Meanwhile, the state trooper is currently being treated at a nearby hospital.
“Three Lexington police officers fired their service weapons. In accordance with Lexington police department policies, the officers had their issued body-worn cameras (BWCs) activated,” Lexington police said.
“The incident is being investigated by the Kentucky state police critical incident response team, and the department’s public integrity unit will conduct an internal review of the incident.”
The police department added that as per policy, the officers would be placed on administrative assignment pending the outcome of the investigation.
In a statement online, Kentucky’s governor, Andy Beshear, said: “Violence like this has no place in our commonwealth or country. Please join [my wife] Britainy and me as we pray for the families of those lost, each one a child of God gone too soon. Thank you to the @lexkypolice and @kystatepolice for their brave efforts today.
“Kentucky, let’s stand strong together and support our Lexington neighbors during this difficult time,” he added.
Fayette county coroner Gary Ginn said the church was home to a small, tight-knit congregation.
The 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. The attack on law enforcement and people of faith in Lexington shocked the entire commonwealth.”
The Associated Press contributed reporting
