A quiet Sunday service at Richmond Road Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, turned into a scene of tragedy and violence. On July 13, 2025, 32-year-old Christina 'Kristy' Combs, a female, was shot and killed in a senseless act of violence that also claimed the life of her mother. The small, tight-knit church community, where many members were related by blood or long-standing friendships, was shattered by the unexpected brutality.
The devastating events began to unfold earlier that day
when a man named Guy House, 47, was pulled over by a state trooper near the Blue Grass Airport. During the traffic stop, House shot and wounded the trooper before fleeing the scene. He then carjacked a vehicle and made his way to the Richmond Road Baptist Church. It's believed that House had a personal connection to individuals at the church and was looking for one of Kristy's sisters, with whom he shared three children.
Upon his arrival at the church, House was informed that the woman he was seeking was not present. In a horrifying turn of events, he then opened fire inside the church. Kristy Combs and her 72-year-old mother, Beverly Gumm, were fatally shot. Kristy’s father, the church pastor, and her husband were also shot and injured during the attack. Responding police officers arrived at the scene and engaged in a shootout with House, during which he was fatally wounded. The community was left to mourn the loss of two beloved members of their congregation, a mother of five who was months away from graduating nursing school, and her mother, both taken in an act of violence that stemmed from a domestic dispute.
