Shooter's Chilling Words Before He Took Lives of Two Women at Lexington Church Revealed – Details

An armed man stormed into a Kentucky church during Sunday meal prep and issued a terrifying phrase before shooting several people.

On July 13, 2025, the shooter — identified by Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn as 47-year-old Guy House — entered Richmond Road Baptist Church in Lexington and opened fire, killing two women and injuring several others. While the community mourns, many people close to Guy are shocked and left wondering what went wrong.

The shooter entered through the back door of the church, located in the 5800 block of Old Richmond Road, and found several people cooking in the basement.

Among them were Beverly Gumm and her daughter, Star Rutherford. Guy reportedly asked to see one of Star's sisters, the mother of one of his children, whose name has not been released.

When told she wasn't there, he delivered a chilling message, "Well, someone is gonna have to die, then," before opening fire. Although 72-year-old Beverly initially ducked and avoided the first bullet, the second struck her in the chest, ending her life.

Guy then went outside and fatally shot one of Star's sisters, 32-year-old Christina Combs. He also injured the church's pastor, Jerry Gumm, as well as Christina's husband, Randy Combs.

Survivors — including Star and her two other sisters, Dasey "Patches" Rutherford and Rachael Barnes — described the harrowing scene to the press.

Additionally, Rachael reported that both Jerry and Randy had been taken to the University of Kentucky Hospital and were in critical but stable condition.

Unfortunately, the fatal church shooting was the culmination of a violent chain of events earlier that day. It began when Guy triggered a license plate alert on traffic cameras and was confronted by a Kentucky State Police trooper on Terminal Drive at Blue Grass Airport.

According to police records, Guy shot the trooper and stole a vehicle before heading directly to the church. Lexington police were dispatched to the scene of the initial shooting around 11:40 a.m. and quickly tracked him to Old Richmond Road.

There, officers confronted and fatally shot him. The coroner's office later confirmed that Guy died from a gunshot wound. Fortunately, the state trooper was reported to be in stable condition as of Sunday.

Although no explanation has been given for Guy's sudden turn to violence, friends and acquaintances took to social media to express their disbelief, insisting the man they knew bore no resemblance to the person described in the news.

On Sunday afternoon, Amir Shalash reposted a video from Guy's Facebook account showing him cradling his daughter, who appeared to have a disability. In the original post, Guy praised his daughter's strength and credited the girl's mother for her progress.

"These are 2 of the people that own me and my life no matter what else I have going on in life [sic]," he wrote. "They could stop it all at the push of a button."

In his repost, Amir expressed that the video is how he would always see Guy and added, "Mental illness is a tough challenge to navigate. Check on your friends—you never know what's going on in someone's world. 😥 RIP big homie!"

Another friend, DT Shima, shared that he couldn't understand what could have led to the shooting at Richmond Road Baptist Church and expressed his condolences to the victims.

Layla Cook, who said she had been friends with Guy since junior high, expressed her heartbreak, "No one ever knows the struggles or issues that cause good people to do traumatic and permanent things."

She also acknowledged the devastating impact the shooting has had on the community and urged people to hug their loved ones close as they try to make sense of the tragedy.

Even journalist Kevin Steele commented on the online outpouring of support for Guy. Additionally, he noted that there has been intense speculation surrounding his possible motive.

Sadly, nothing can undo the horror that unfolded as the victims' families are now left grieving. Star shared that she held her mother as she lay dying. Beverly, a mother of eight, was described by her daughter as a "faithful member of the church who loved God."

Her other daughter, Dasey, added that Beverly was known for feeding anyone in need. Furthermore, Rachael noted that both her mother and sister — who was a mother herself and would have graduated from nursing school in December — died "serving the Lord."

That dedication to the church is part of why the victims' deaths have affected the community so deeply. The Fayette County coroner noted that the Richmond Road Baptist Church congregation is "a very tight-knit group of people," with many members related to each other.

He also stated that he was able to notify the victims' families quickly. The church, located in the rural Old Richmond Road Corridor of Lexington, is near a horse riding school and an alpaca breeder.

According to its website, Richmond Road Baptist Church identifies as an "independent, landmark, sovereign grace, missionary New Testament Baptist Church." Over 800 sermons from its pastor, Jerry, are available on the church's website.

At the time of the shooting, a sermon was being live-streamed on Facebook. During the church service, Jerry had mentioned death approximately ten times.

As the service unfolded online, those close to the victims were unaware of the tragedy that would soon follow. Beverly's final post on Facebook came two days before the shooting.

On July 11, she shared an image with a motivational quote that encouraged perseverance, emphasizing the importance of continuing forward regardless of emotions or circumstances.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Rachael took to Facebook to express her sorrow over the loss of her mother and sister. In one post, she wrote that she loved her mother and her younger sister, Christina, adding that she could not believe the situation was real.

In another post, she reflected on her final moments with her mother, stating she would not have left her side had she known it would be their last day together, sharing the message alongside a photo of the two of them.

Rachael also revealed that her mother had once written a book at her request. The book was filled with stories about Beverly's children, friends, and family. She explained that she wanted the book as a way to stay connected to her mother after she passed.

She recalled telling her mother that she would need her advice once she was gone. Beverly completed the book last year. Rachael said she never imagined she would be reading it so soon.

Fundraisers have been launched for both victims on spotfund.com. As of July 14, more than $1,200 of a $5,000 goal has been raised for Beverly, while over $1,400 has been raised toward a $10,000 goal for Christina. Additional donations are expected.

Several state leaders addressed the shooting on social media. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear confirmed there were multiple incidents in Lexington involving one suspect, including a trooper-involved shooting and a separate shooting at the church. He added that the injured individuals were receiving care at a local hospital.

Congressman Andy Barr stated that he was praying for the injured trooper and all those hurt at the Richmond Road Baptist Church. He said he was monitoring the situation closely and thanked the state police and first responders for their efforts.

Senator Rand Paul also commented on the incident, expressing sadness over the shootings at both locations. He shared that he and his wife, Kelley, were praying for the victims, the trooper, and their families. He also emphasized that violence has no place in Kentucky.

Authorities continue to investigate the incident as the community grapples with the aftermath of the violence.