A deadly shooting spree unfolded Sunday in central Kentucky, leaving two church women dead and several others injured, including a Kentucky State Police trooper.
The suspect was later killed during a confrontation with law enforcement.
The violence began just before noon when a trooper attempted a traffic stop near Blue Grass Airport on Terminal Drive.
The vehicle had been flagged by a license plate reader.
The driver, later identified as 47-year-old Guy E. House, opened fire on the trooper, seriously wounding him.
Bystanders on their way to the airport rushed to help the officer, who was hospitalized and remains in stable condition.
“There were some people en route to the airport, and they got out and assisted the trooper,” said Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers, according to Fox News. “I appreciate them for getting out and doing what they did.”
Authorities used aerial surveillance and real-time tracking to locate House at Richmond Road Baptist Church, several miles away.
There, the situation escalated into a tragic and deadly confrontation.
Inside the church basement, 72-year-old Beverly Gumm and her daughter, Star Rutherford, were preparing lunch for the congregation when House burst in.
According to Rutherford, he was searching for her sister—the mother of his three children.
When told she wasn’t there, he allegedly said, “Well, someone’s gonna have to die then,” and opened fire, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader, per the New York Post.
Gumm was shot in the chest and killed.
Outside the church, House also gunned down another of Rutherford’s sisters, 34-year-old Christina Combs, a nursing student and mother of five, including a six-month-old baby.
Two men were wounded in the gunfire: Gumm’s husband, Jerry Gumm—the church’s pastor—and Randy Combs, Christina’s husband.
Both were hospitalized.
Family members said Randy was awake and stable, while Jerry remained sedated after surgery.
Lexington police officers arrived quickly and engaged House on the church grounds.
A shootout ensued, during which three officers fired their weapons, fatally striking House.
Court records later revealed that House, a converted Muslim with a criminal history, had prior convictions for auto theft and tested positive for methamphetamine during a 2023 court-ordered drug screening.
He had completed probation earlier this year and was scheduled to appear in court Monday for a domestic violence hearing, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports.
He had also expressed support for the “Free Palestine” movement online.
Investigators are still working to determine what led to Sunday’s violence, though early reports suggest House may have been targeting the mother of his children.
State leaders responded swiftly to the tragedy.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R) wrote, “Saddened to hear about the tragic shootings. Kelley and I are praying for all the victims, the injured trooper, and their families. We are grateful for the brave first responders. Violence like this has no place.”
Gov. Andy Beshear urged prayers for those affected and praised the swift action by Lexington police and state troopers.
Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton also issued a statement.
“Like so many communities across the country, today our community has experienced a mass shooting, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries,” she said, according to The Post. “A state police trooper has also been injured.”
“Our police have a strong partnership with state police. The agencies will work together to fully investigate this tragedy.”
The investigation remains ongoing, and officials have not yet determined a definitive motive for the attacks.
The post Two Dead, Multiple Wounded in Kentucky Church Shooting as Suspect’s Disturbing Criminal Past Emerges appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Gloriel Howard
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