Lexington shooter 'may have had connection' to small church where killings took place

"Something like this has a huge impact on our community," Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said in a Sunday afternoon press conference.

According to authorities, Lexington police were dispatched at 11:36 a.m. Sunday after a Kentucky State Police trooper was pinged with a license plate reader alert on Terminal Drive. The trooper was shot by the suspect, who then fled the scene and later carjacked a vehicle.

The shooting was unrelated to nearby Blue Grass Airport.

Police later caught up with the suspect at Richmond Road Baptist Church, where he opened fire, killing two women and injuring two men before being shot and killed by Lexington police officers.

Weathers did not indicate any leads on a motive, but had one detail regarding shooter's destination.

"The suspect fired his weapon at individuals on church property. Preliminary information indicates that the suspect may have had a connection to the individuals at the church," Weathers reported.

Coroner Gary Ginn added, "The church was a small church, and the majority of the individuals that attend the church there are related, biologically some way or another. If not, they've been friends for many, many years. So it's a very tight knit group of people at the Richmond Baptist Church."

The two women were pronounced dead at the scene. The other two victims were transported to a local hospital. The trooper is in stable condition.

In a social media post, Gov. Andy Beshear urged Kentuckians to pray for those affected by "these senseless acts of violence" and to give thanks for a swift response by law enforcement.

CORRECTION (6:26 p.m.): A previous version of this story said the suspect was shot by Kentucky State Police. The suspect was shot by Lexington Police.

Read the full Lexington Police Department release below.

On July 13, 2025, around 11:36 a.m., Lexington Police Officers were dispatched for a shooting involving a Kentucky State Trooper on Terminal Drive. The Trooper had pulled over a vehicle on Terminal Airport Drive after receiving a license plate reader alert in the area of Versailles Road. The Trooper was shot and the suspect fled. While that shooting occurred on Terminal Drive, it was unrelated to the Blue Grass Airport and did not occur inside the airport terminal. The Trooper is in stable condition, receiving medical treatment.

A short time later, the suspect carjacked a vehicle in the 3700 block of Belleau Wood Drive before fleeing the area. No injuries were reported during the carjacking,

With the assistance of the department’s Air Support Unit and Real-Time Intelligence Center, officers were able to track the vehicle to the Richmond Road Baptist Church in the 5800 of Old Richmond Road. The suspect fired his weapon at individuals on church property. Preliminary information indicates that the suspect may have had a connection to individuals at the church.

Four individuals were shot on church property. Two female victims were pronounced deceased at the scene. The other two victims, both males, were transported to local hospital. One victim was reported to have sustained critical injuries and the other was reported in stable condition.

The Fayette County Coroner’s Office will release the deceased victims’ information.

The suspect was shot by responding law enforcement and was pronounced deceased at the scene. The suspect’s information will be released after their family is notified.

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. 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. As per policy, the officers will be placed on administrative assignment pending the outcome of the investigation.