Lexington Church Shooting: What We Know So Far
Active shooter attacks Lexington church after shooting trooper—here’s what church security teams need to know.
WATCH MY BREAKDOWN OF THIS INCIDENT
On Sunday, July 13, 2025, a violent series of events unfolded in Lexington, Kentucky, leaving two women dead, two men critically wounded, and a state trooper recovering from gunshot wounds. The attacker, identified as 47-year-old Guy House of Pewee Valley, Kentucky, was killed by law enforcement officers after opening fire inside Richmond Road Baptist Church.
This article lays out the confirmed facts and provides clarity on a story that has raised serious concerns for church safety teams across the country. I’ve already seen many social media pundits pushing conspiracy theories purely for clicks, likes, and monetization. I’m not interested in that. I’m trying to move past those voices, and give you the facts that have been presented to us, nothing more, nothing less.
The Traffic Stop That Set It Off
The chain of violence began at approximately 11:35 a.m. according to Kentucky State Police. A state trooper pulled over a vehicle on Terminal Drive near Blue Grass Airport after a license plate reader flagged the car. During the stop, the suspect, Guy House, opened fire on the trooper, striking him twice. Despite serious injuries, the trooper is expected to survive and remains in stable condition.
Immediately after the shooting, House fled the scene and carjacked a vehicle on Belleau Wood Drive to continue his escape. No civilians were injured in the carjacking.
The Church Attack
Roughly 15 to 20 minutes later, House arrived at Richmond Road Baptist Church, located about 15 miles from the initial traffic stop. According to multiple reports, including this one from ABC News, House entered the church during an afternoon gathering. Witnesses say he was looking for the mother of his three children, who attends the church but was not present at the time.
When told she wasn’t there, House reportedly said, “Someone’s gonna have to die then,” before drawing a handgun and opening fire.
Victims Identified
Two women were killed in the attack:
Beverly Gumm, 72, wife of the church’s pastor.
Christina Combs, 32, who was shot outside the church.
Two others were critically wounded:
Jerry Gumm, 72, the church pastor and Beverly’s husband.
Randy Combs, Christina’s husband.
Both injured men were transported to the University of Kentucky hospital. According to news coverage from the Lexington Herald-Leader, Jerry remains sedated and in critical condition, while Randy is awake and undergoing treatment.
Law Enforcement Response
Officers from both the Lexington Police Department and Kentucky State Police responded rapidly to the church shooting. According to official statements, three officers engaged House and shot him on-site. He died at the scene.
Body-worn cameras were active, and per department policy, the involved officers have been placed on administrative leave pending review. The investigation is being handled jointly by the Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team and the Lexington Police Public Integrity Unit.
Who Was the Intended Target?
Multiple sources, including The Guardian, confirm that House entered the church intending to find his former partner—the mother of his three children. Her name has not been publicly released, and she was not present at the church when House arrived. This appears to be a case of targeted domestic violence that spilled into a sacred space and resulted in collateral casualties.
This is a critical reminder for church security teams: sometimes the attacker isn’t there to attack the church as an institution, but to settle personal grievances in a public setting.
Addressing the False Narrative
In the hours following the shooting, some social media influencers began pushing the claim that this was a religiously motivated act, specifically blaming Islam. That claim is not supported by any evidence at this time.
Some of these rumors stem from a photo of the suspect wearing what appeared to be Muslim-style clothing. Others have simply used the opportunity to push anti-Muslim sentiment for attention and monetization. The facts currently available show this incident was driven by domestic violence and, potentially, a psychological break or even demonic influence—not jihad.
As I said in my video, people who are mentally unstable or spiritually compromised often “hop around” belief systems. Just because a man wore certain clothing in a photo doesn’t make this an act of religious terrorism.
If law enforcement or credible investigators uncover new information linking this to a larger ideological cause, I’ll report it. But as of now, this appears to be a targeted domestic attack, not an act of religious violence.
What This Means for Church Security
This attack highlights several key concerns:
Churches remain soft targets even when a known threat is not a stranger but a domestic connection.
The presence of security personnel inside the church was not reported, but their absence would be worth examining given the speed and lethality of the attack.
If your team has not yet trained for active shooter response involving domestic spillover, this incident is a wake-up call. An individual can quickly transition from being a known, potentially unstable person to a lethal threat once emotion takes control.
Final Thoughts
This wasn’t a terrorist plot or a random act of violence. This was targeted. Deliberate. And devastating.
It’s a reminder that while spiritual warfare is real, so is the physical threat that evil brings to the church’s doorstep. It’s up to church leadership and safety ministries to prepare for both.
I’ll update this article as additional details are released.
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In His Service,
Keith Graves
“incident was driven by domestic violence and, potentially, a psychological break or even demonic influence—not jihad” I contend that all of the reasons above could be demonic influence - especially jihad. I hope muslims can / will be converted to accepting Jesus Christ as their savior but before that happens, they are untrustworthy to me.
OIDAC Europe Report 2024 details the rise of anti-christian behaviors in Europe. Its hard to see this stopping especially with the consequence of open border the last four years and the internet. They are planning to destroy the constitution. We need a law against the establishment of sharia law in tis country. This would be much like the anti-communism law passed in the 50s.