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Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fear shouldn't derail Run 4 Roses basketball tournament or city of Louisville
It happened in Louisville, but the panic caused by the fear of an active shooter really could have happened anywhere in America. In fact, police speculated that it occurred, in part, because of raised sensitivities after the Richmond Road Baptist Church shooting in Lexington earlier Sunday. Teenage players, their parents who watched from the stands, coaches and event staff all went running for safety on Sunday at the Run 4 Roses Classic girls basketball tournament held at the Kentucky Expo Center after what Louisville police deemed nothing more than a perfect storm for chaos. Advertisement Police on Monday said a ceiling tile that fell and hit a metal chair caused a loud noise, but on Tuesday retracted that statement. ; an unrelated call about a medical emergency; and a faulty duct smoke sensor that tripped an alarm all happened close enough to send thousands of people running from the courts. In a statement to The Courier Journal, event organizer Tucker Neale explained that noise from the ceiling tile "led to several individuals shouting, 'Shots fired' while fleeing the venue, which led to panic among guests and participants." That's not a Louisville problem. It's a U.S. problem due to having more mass shootings than any other developed nation in the world. But the city still comes out with a net loss because the reality that no shot was ever fired and no one was seriously injured won't match the perception that it is somehow unsafe. That's why the games must go on. Advertisement The players were supposed to only be nervous about normal things like being seen by college coaches, some for the first time, and winning games. The Run 4 Roses, which is partnered with Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League, listed on its website more than 2,000 women's college basketball coaches present representing every level, and that included some of the biggest names in the sport including South Carolina's Dawn Staley. Instead, some were texting loved ones while hunkered down in a bathroom not knowing if they would be hitting send for the last time. No matter what the police investigation revealed, the reality of the entire incident being caused by fear does not erase the fact that the fear was tangible for however many seconds it took people to reach the exits at the Expo Center. There were teams that announced in the aftermath that they would not return to complete the tournament as well as college coaches who said they were done. Advertisement The Run 4 Roses resumed play Monday with tighter security in place, including bag checks and handheld metal detectors to scan patrons. That's the right step to calm nerves and ensure everyone feels safe. When something like this happens, everything needs to be examined and scrutinized from a safety standpoint, starting with the size of the tournament itself. There is a source of civic pride from a place that loves basketball like we do that comes with saying the biggest girls basketball tournament in the nation is held here. The event generates an estimated $60 million in economic impact for the Louisville economy, which makes it second to only the Kentucky Derby in terms of annual sporting events. But could it be too big? Would it be better if it scaled back to provide better security? Or does it just need more security to begin with? Advertisement All fair questions, and they should be asked before moving on. But here's the answer. No one was in danger Sunday. Perception is a problem for Louisville, and truthfully, the city still hasn't recovered from the Breonna Taylor tragedy. Far too many people, especially on social media, are eager to pounce on that narrative and go viral off bad news. One online account, which will remain nameless because I don't want to promote their ignorance, was all too ready to dive into the worst-case scenario. Its posting of the news included a stock image of a masked man pointing a gun. And even after users passed on info that police reported no shots were actually fired, the post remained up with the account actively refuting the new information. Advertisement It's no surprise that by the time Monday morning rolled around, the quiet conspiracies from bad-faith actors began to bubble including those alleging a cover-up. The negative tropes can't overshadow the incredible hospitality we show here. No city, regardless of size, embraces sporting events like Louisville does. Different iterations of this tournament have been held in other cities including Orlando and Nashville, but Louisville brings the total package for the event that those places just can't. It's affordable to stay for the tournament in ways that Disney World and the Country Music capital left a long time ago. The Expo Center itself stores and assembles all 88 courts used for the event. And the number of spectators who just attend because they love basketball is second to none. Advertisement The Run 4 Roses tournaments belong here. And, hopefully, the unfortunate hysteria of Sunday's phantom shooter doesn't change that at all. Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@ follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at to make sure you never miss one of his columns. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Run 4 Roses basketball tournament: Event needs to remain in Louisville
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
Suspect in Kentucky church shooting had a domestic violence hearing the next day
Police stand at the front of the Richmond Road Baptist Church as other officers maintain a perimeter following a shooting at the church in Lexington, Ky., Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley) The man accused of a shooting rampage Sunday at a rural Kentucky church after wounding a state trooper had been expected in court Monday for a domestic violence hearing, a local official said. Police say Guy House, 47, shot the trooper during a traffic stop near Lexington's airport, fled in a carjacked vehicle then opened fire at Richmond Road Baptist Church, killing two women and wounding two men before officers fatally shot him. House went to the church looking for the mother of his children but his domestic violence hearing did not involve her, the Lexington Heald-Leader reported, citing a sister of the woman, Rachael Barnes. Matt Ball, a deputy clerk for family court in Fayette County, confirmed to The Associated Press that House had been scheduled for the domestic violence hearing on Monday. Police say Beverly Gumm, 72, and Christina Combs, 34, were killed in the shooting. One of the wounded men was being treated for critical injuries and the other was in stable condition, police said. The trooper was in stable condition, police said. 'Preliminary information indicates that the suspect may have had a connection to the individuals at the church,' Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said at a news conference Sunday. The shootings remain under investigation, Weathers said. The trooper stopped House after receiving a 'license plate reader alert,' police said. A woman who witnessed that shooting said it initially appeared to be a routine traffic stop, with the trooper talking to the suspect through an open window. 'And as we were driving by, I heard, 'pop, pop' and I knew it was gunshots,' Larissa McLaughlin told WLEX-TV in Lexington. Police tracked the carjacked vehicle to the Baptist church about 16 miles (26 kilometres) from where the trooper was shot, police said. Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn said the church is home to a small, tight-knit congregation. In a post on social media, Gov. Andy Beshear said, 'Please pray for everyone affected by these senseless acts of violence, and let's give thanks for the swift response by the Lexington Police Department and Kentucky State Police.' State Attorney General Russell Coleman said detectives with his office were ready to support local and state agencies. 'Today, violence invaded the Lord's House,' Coleman said in a statement. 'The attack on law enforcement and people of faith in Lexington shocked the entire Commonwealth.' Bruce Schreiner, The Associated Press
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Washington Post
Suspect in Kentucky church shooting had a domestic violence hearing the next day
The man accused of a shooting rampage Sunday at a rural Kentucky church after wounding a state trooper had been expected in court Monday for a domestic violence hearing, a local official said. Police say Guy House, 47, shot the trooper during a traffic stop near Lexington's airport, fled in a carjacked vehicle then opened fire at Richmond Road Baptist Church, killing two women and wounding two men before officers fatally shot him.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Eerie post made by wife of gunman Guy House before he 'killed her mom and sister in Kentucky church bloodbath'
Just hours before a Kentucky man killed a beloved mother and daughter at a small community church, his wife shared an eerie social media post about 'revenge.' Guy House, 47, burst through the door to the basement of Richmond Road Baptist Church in Lexington on Sunday, hunting for the mom of his three kids, Angel Summer. But after he was told she was not there, House uttered: 'Well someone is gonna have to die then,' and killed Beverly Gumm, 72, and her daughter, Christina Combs, 32. Just hours before House's deadly rampage, Summer re-posted a cryptic message to Facebook: 'Never seek revenge, rotten fruit will fall on its own!' House had a history of violence - and was scheduled to attend a domestic violence hearing on Monday morning. He also had a long criminal history, and was only released from probation in January, court records show. On Sunday, House was killed by officers after storming through the church and confronting Gumm and her daughter, Star Rutherford - Summer's mother and sister. The women were cooking lunch for congregants, Rutherford recounted to the Lexington Herald-Leader. Gumm, a mother-of-eight, quickly ducked to avoid the first shot, but the second hit her in the chest - killing her at the scene, Rutherford said. House then went outside and shot and killed Rutherford's other sister, Combs. He also injured Gumm's husband, and the longtime pastor of the church, Jerry Gumm, as well as Combs' husband, Randy Combs, before he was shot dead. The two victims were rushed to the University of Kentucky hospital, where they remained in critical condition Sunday night. Randy is now awake, while Jerry remains sedated from surgery, Rutherford wrote on Facebook. She and her siblings now remember their mother as a 'faithful member of the church who loved God.' Dasey 'Patches' Rutherford, another sister, noted that their mother's 'love language' was feeding people - 'homeless people, drug addicts, strangers.' Rachael Barnes, a third sister, also said Combs was a mother-of-five who planned to graduate from nursing school in December. 'They were both fantastic moms,' she said, adding that her mother and sister were doing what they loved - 'serving the Lord' when they died. The family is now raising money for Gumm's funeral and to help Randy and his family. It remains unclear what may have motivated House to target the mother of his children at the small, close-knit church. But just moments before descending on the church, House was driving down Terminal Drive, outside Blue Grass Airport, when he was pulled over by a Kentucky State Trooper who was alerted about House's vehicle from a license plate reader on a nearby traffic camera. House then opened fire on the trooper at around 10.40am. From there, police say the shooter carjacked a vehicle and fled 16 miles to the Baptist church, where he was shot and killed by pursuing cops. The wounded deputy, meanwhile, was taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries but was in stable condition Sunday night, the Lexington Fire Department noted. 'It looked routine,' Larissa McLaughlin, who was at the airport dropping off a rental car with her husband, said of House's interaction with the trooper. 'He was outside talking to him through an open window. 'And as we were driving, I heard "pop, pop" and I knew it was gunshots,' she told Lex 18. She said her husband then called 911 while she ran to the airport entrance seeking help. 'I was trying to alert everyone at the airport and I just ran through screaming,' McLaughlin recounted. Witness Gena Roland also described how she was among the first at the scene of the gunman's rampage 'barely escaping a head-on crash from the shooter while he drove out of the airport the wrong way.' 'The trooper was thankfully awake and coherent when the ambulance arrived, albeit in a lot of pain,' she said. 'It was intense. There were many good Samaritans that stopped and ran to the trooper. I think we had five of us down there before the cops and paramedics arrived on scene.' Other locals wrote online that they saw dozens of police and other emergency vehicles rushing to the airport. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced the deaths of the two churchgoers shortly before a 4.30pm press conference identified them. 'Please pray for everyone affected by these senseless acts of violence, and let's give thanks for the swift response by the Lexington Police Department and Kentucky State Police,' he said. Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton also offered her prayers for the victims' families. 'Like so many communities across the country, today our community has experienced a mass shooting, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries. A state police trooper has also been injured,' she said in a statement.
The Standard
3 days ago
- The Standard
Kentucky church shooting leaves three dead, including suspect
Police assess the scene after a shooting at Richmond Road Baptist Church on July 13, 2025 in Lexington, Kentucky. (AFP)
