Mother and Daughter Killed at Kentucky Church While ‘Serving the Lord’

A mother and daughter at a Lexington, Ky., church were killed and two others were injured Sunday by a gunman who earlier had shot a state trooper before stealing a car. The incident began Sunday morning near Blue Grass Airport when a Kentucky State Trooper stopped a vehicle after a license plate reader alert. The driver shot the trooper, then fled the scene and carjacked another vehicle. The trooper survived and is in stable condition.
Law enforcement then traced the carjacked vehicle to Richmond Road Baptist Church in Lexington, where the gunman shot four individuals.
"Preliminary information indicates that the suspect may have had a connection to the individuals at the church," Lexington Chief of Police Lawrence Weathers said at a news conference.
Law enforcement then shot and killed the gunman.
Richmond Road Baptist was described at the news conference as a small congregation with a tight-knit group of members -- most of whom are either biologically related or have been close friends for many years.
"It's days like today that are extremely difficult," Weathers said.
The gunman shot and killed Beverly Gumm, 72, and her daughter, Christina Combs, 32, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader, which recounted a nightmarish scenario in which the gunman -- who has not been officially identified by police -- entered a door and began asking questions.
At the time, Gumm and another daughter, Star Rutherford, were cooking lunch in the church basement. The gunman asked the two where Rutherford's sister was. When he was told the sister was not there, he responded, "Well, someone is gonna have to die, then" -- and shot and killed Gumm. He then went outside and killed Combs. He also shot Gumm's husband, who is the church's pastor, Jerry Gumm, and Combs' husband, Randy Combs. Both were listed in critical but stable condition, the Herald-Leader reported.
The family identified the man as Guy House, who was searching for the mother of their three children, the newspaper said.
Gumm was described by Star Rutherford as a "faithful member of the church who loved God."
Gumm and Combs were "serving the Lord" when they died, Rachel Barnes -- Rutherford's sister -- told the newspaper. Combs was a mother of five.
"They were both fantastic moms," Barnes said.
Women killed in KY church shooting were mother and daughter, died ‘serving the Lord’ https://t.co/OQ4lsNiZ81
— Lexington Herald-Leader (@heraldleader) July 14, 2025
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Sports Blog Live
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published July 14, 2025.