Lexington, Kentucky, July 14, 2025 After a gunman went on a deadly rampage that crossed an airport roadway and a Baptist church sanctuary, a wave of violence rocked a calm Sunday in Kentucky, leaving two churchgoers dead, a state trooper gravely injured, and a town in shock.
Around 11:40 AM, the mayhem broke out close to Lexington’s Blue Grass Airport.
Authorities stated that a license plate reader alert from a nearby traffic camera prompted a Kentucky State Police (KSP) trooper to begin a traffic check on Terminal Drive.
When the trooper was hit by gunfire from the suspect inside the car, what should have been a routine encounter descended into violence.
At a sad afternoon press conference, officials said, “The trooper had apparently pulled over the gunman… when the suspect shot him.”
The injured shooter then stole another car and ran about 16 miles to Lexington’s Richmond Road Baptist Church.
The suspect entered the church grounds while being pursued by law officers.
According to Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers, who detailed the horrific events that transpired, the shooter might have had some sort of relationship to the church.
The shooter started shooting inside the church as frightened worshipers attempted to flee the unexpected violence.
Sadly, 32-year-old Christina Combs and 72-year-old Beverly Gumm were shot and murdered.
The attack on the church also injured two individuals, one of whom was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Three officers from the Lexington Police Department confronted the gunman as he was cornered by the pursuing officers.
Chief Weathers attested to the fact that the subject was shot and killed by the officers.
Police know who the shooter is, but as of Sunday afternoon, his family had not been informed.
The KSP trooper who was shot at the airport, meanwhile, was taken to a neighboring hospital after suffering severe injuries.
Later, according to the Lexington Fire Department, his status was stable.
As the shooter drove off in the wrong direction down the airport drive, witness Gena Roland described the terrifying sight at the airport and how she just avoided being hit head-on.
“The trooper was thankfully awake and coherent when the ambulance arrived, albeit in a lot of pain,” Roland stated.
“It was really intense.
Numerous compassionate individuals halted and rushed to the trooper.
Before the police and paramedics showed up, I believe there were five of us down there.”
According to other locals, dozens of cars were rushing to the scene as a large police and emergency response gathered at the airport.
Shortly before a 4:30 PM press conference, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear revealed Gumm and Combs’ deaths.
“Please pray for everyone affected by these senseless acts of violence,” Governor Beshear told the public, “and let’s give thanks for the swift response by the Lexington Police Department and Kentucky State Police.”
The community’s amazement and grief were mirrored by Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton.
“Today, our neighborhood was the scene of a horrific shooting that left numerous people dead and injured, just like so many other communities around the nation.
Additionally hurt is a state police trooper, Mayor Gorton said.
In addition to highlighting the close collaboration between state and local law enforcement, she promised that “the agencies will work together to fully investigate this tragedy.”
As local police processed the initial crime scene on Sunday evening, a portion of Terminal Drive near the airport remained closed.
Airport operations and flights returned to their regular schedules.
As part of the inquiry, a blue Nissan that was thought to be the shooter’s original car was taped off by police.
At 3:49 AM on Sunday, Lexington Police also responded to a separate shooting incident, adding to the carnage of the day.
That event, which happened on the other side of town from the airport on Winchester Road close to Liberty Road, left two males injured who drove themselves to the hospital and a woman with potentially fatal injuries.
Whether this predawn shooting is related to the subsequent rampage at the airport and church has not yet been established by investigators.
Additionally, Sunday was a somber day in Kentucky when another unconnected shooting happened close to the Run 4 the Roses basketball tournament at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.
The church and airport shootings in Lexington are still being investigated.
While praying for the recovery of the injured trooper and churchgoers, authorities are trying to piece together the gunman’s motivations, his possible church affiliation, and the entire series of events that resulted in the tragic deaths of Christina Combs and Beverly Gumm.
Following a devastating event, the Lexington community is left in mourning and in search of answers.
