Kentucky: Church shooting suspect had upcoming domestic violence hearing, say officials

The man accused of a shooting rampage Sunday at a rural Kentucky church after wounding a state trooper had been expected in court Monday for a domestic violence hearing, a local official said.

Police say Guy House, 47, shot the trooper during a traffic stop near Lexington’s airport, fled in a carjacked vehicle then opened fire at Richmond Road Baptist Church, killing two women and wounding two men before officers fatally shot him.

House went to the church looking for the mother of his children but his domestic violence hearing did not involve her, the Lexington Heald-Leader reported, citing a sister of the woman, Rachael Barnes.

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Matt Ball, a deputy clerk for family court in Fayette County, confirmed to The Associated Press that House had been scheduled for the domestic violence hearing on Monday.

Police say Beverly Gumm, 72, and Christina Combs, 34, were killed in the shooting. One of the wounded men was being treated for critical injuries and the other was in stable condition, police said. The trooper was in stable condition, police said.

“Preliminary information indicates that the suspect may have had a connection to the individuals at the church,” Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said at a news conference Sunday.

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The shootings remain under investigation, Weathers said. The trooper stopped House after receiving a “license plate reader alert,” police said.

A woman who witnessed that shooting said it initially appeared to be a routine traffic stop, with the trooper talking to the suspect through an open window.

“And as we were driving by, I heard, ‘pop, pop’ and I knew it was gunshots,” Larissa McLaughlin told WLEX-TV in Lexington.

Police tracked the carjacked vehicle to the Baptist church about 16 miles (26 kilometers) from where the trooper was shot, police said. Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn said the church is home to a small, tight-knit congregation.

In a post on social media, Gov. Andy Beshear said, “Please pray for everyone affected by these senseless acts of violence, and let’s give thanks for the swift response by the Lexington Police Department and Kentucky State Police.”

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,” Coleman said in a statement. “The attack on law enforcement and people of faith in Lexington shocked the entire Commonwealth.”