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Gunman Kills 2 in Kentucky Church Rampage After Shooting State Trooper

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A deadly rampage unfolded Sunday in Lexington, Kentucky, when a gunman opened fire inside a small church while searching for his estranged wife — killing two women and injuring several others, including a state trooper.

The suspect, 47-year-old Guy House, first shot a Kentucky State Police trooper outside Blue Grass Airport. He then carjacked a vehicle and drove to Richmond Road Baptist Church, where much of his wife’s family worships. The church is composed largely of extended family members.

Once inside, House demanded to know the whereabouts of his wife — the mother of his three children. When her family members told him she wasn’t there, he reportedly replied, “Well, someone is gonna have to die, then,” and opened fire.

Beverly Gumm, 72, was shot and killed in the church basement while preparing lunch with her daughter, Star Rutherford. House then stepped outside and fatally shot another of Gumm’s daughters, 32-year-old Christina Combs — a mother of five who had planned to graduate from nursing school later this year.

Two other family members — Gumm’s husband, longtime church pastor Jerry Gumm, and Combs’ husband Randy — were wounded and remain in critical but stable condition. The trooper shot earlier in the day is also expected to recover.

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“He walked in and ruined multiple lives in an instant,” said Rachael Barnes, another daughter of Gumm’s. She described her mother as a woman of faith whose greatest joy was feeding others — especially the homeless and those struggling with addiction.

Police officers arrived quickly at the church and shot House dead at the scene. House had a long criminal history, including prior charges for endangering police officers, possessing a firearm as a felon, and stealing vehicles.

The small church congregation, shaken to its core, is leaning on faith and community as it mourns the senseless violence that claimed two lives and tore apart multiple families.