Kentucky State Police released more information Wednesday about the trooper who was shot while conducting a traffic stop near Lexington’s Bluegrass Airport last Sunday, which escalated to fatal shootings at a Lexington church.
Three people died, including the suspected gunman, while three other people remain hospitalized.
According to the KSP, preliminary findings of their investigation indicate Trooper Jude Remilien, a three-year veteran of the agency assigned to Post 12 in Frankfort, conducted a traffic stop on Terminal Drive. While interacting with the occupants, one of the individuals pulled out a gun and shot Remilien, resulting in serious injuries. He is in the hospital in stable condition, the KSP said.
The suspect was later identified as Guy House, 47, of Lexington, who had outstanding arrest warrants. The other occupants of the vehicle were not involved in the assault of the trooper or fleeing the scene and are cooperating with the investigation.
After shooting the trooper, House fled the scene and later forcibly stole a vehicle from an individual. The Lexington Police Department (LPD) obtained information indicating the vehicle House had reportedly stolen was near Old Richmond Road.
Around 12:30 p.m., LPD officers located the stolen vehicle at Richmond Road Baptist Church. Officers approached the church and found House in the rear parking lot area, as well as several people with apparent gunshot wounds.
The KSP says House shot four victims at the church before encountering the police officers. At least three LPD officers discharged their agency-issued firearms, fatally wounding House. Once the scene was secure, officers began to provide life-saving measures.
Two of the four victims were pronounced dead at the scene by the Fayette County coroner and have been identified as Christina Combs, 34, from Lexington, and Beverly Gumm, 72, from Lexington. Also shot and injured were Gumm’s husband and the longtime pastor of the church, Jerry Gumm, and Combs’ husband, Randy Combs. The two men were last reported to be in critical condition. House was also deceased at the scene.
His son, also named Jerry Gumm, 58, was at the church after the incident. He was arrested and charged Sunday with menacing after police said he acted “belligerently” at the scene and indicated he was going to draw a gun from his hip. A trooper grabbed Gumm’s arm and placed him under arrest before he could draw his weapon.
Gumm was arraigned in Fayette District Court on Monday. His next scheduled court hearing is a pretrial conference on Friday.
By Tom Latek, Kentucky Today
