On Sunday, July 13, 2025, a tragic shooting unfolded at Richmond Road Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, leaving two women dead and two men wounded in a harrowing sequence of events that began with a violent encounter on a nearby road.
Authorities identified the suspect as 47-year-old Guy E. House, whose day of violence started near Blue Grass Airport in Fayette County. According to Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers, a state trooper pulled House over on Terminal Drive after receiving a registration plate reader alert at 11:36 a.m. local time. The stop was unrelated to airport operations, but it quickly turned deadly when House shot and wounded the trooper, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
After the shooting, House fled the scene, carjacking a vehicle at gunpoint without harming its occupant. He then drove approximately 16 miles to Richmond Road Baptist Church, where the nightmare escalated.
Upon arriving at the church, House forced his way inside, reportedly demanding to know the whereabouts of the mother of his children. Beverly Gumm, 72, and her daughter, Star Rutherford, were cooking lunch in the basement fellowship hall when House confronted them. When told the woman wasn’t there, House chillingly declared, "Well, someone is gonna have to die," before opening fire.
Beverly Gumm was struck in the chest by the second bullet and died at the scene. As House fled the basement, he encountered Christina Combs, 34, outside the church with her husband Randy Combs and Pastor Jerry Gumm, Beverly’s husband. House opened fire again, killing Christina and wounding both men.
Responding officers engaged House in a gun battle outside the church, ultimately shooting and killing him. Chief Weathers confirmed that preliminary information suggests House had a connection to individuals at the church, though the exact nature of this relationship remains under investigation.
The Fayette County Coroner’s Office officially identified the deceased women as Beverly Gumm and Christina Combs. Coroner Gary Ginn described the church community as a small, close-knit group, with most attendees biologically related or longtime friends. "They’re a very tight-knit group of people," Ginn said, underscoring the deep bonds shattered by the violence.
House’s criminal record painted a troubling backdrop to the incident. Court documents reveal a history of drug use, theft, burglary, violating protective orders, evading police, and resisting arrest. Notably, he was on felony probation at the time of the shooting, having been arrested in 2023 for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Investigative reporter John Lee Riches highlighted that House had violated probation multiple times, including just months before the attack, raising questions about how he remained free.
ABC News reported that House was scheduled to appear for a domestic violence hearing on Monday, July 14, adding another layer to the suspect’s troubled personal history.
The two male victims, Pastor Jerry Gumm and Randy Combs, were transported to a local hospital. One was reported in critical condition while the other remained stable.
Governor Andy Beshear addressed the tragedy on social media, stating, "Violence like this has no place in our commonwealth or country," reflecting the shock and sorrow felt across Kentucky.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, led by Kentucky State Police and the Lexington Police Department’s Public Integrity Unit. The officers involved in the fatal shooting of House have been placed on administrative assignment pending the outcome of the inquiry.
This devastating incident has rocked a small, tight community bound by family and friendship, leaving a lasting scar on Richmond Road Baptist Church and the broader Lexington area. As authorities continue to piece together the motives and circumstances, the community grapples with the loss and the unsettling reality of violence striking a place of worship.
