Five people were shot at Charles Young Park in downtown Lexington on Saturday evening, and one of them died. Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said two of the victims were children, including a four-year-old and a 14-year-old, while the other two surviving victims were adults with non-life-threatening injuries.
That left four survivors in Lexington hospitals and a park area still under an active police response as of 9 p.m. Saturday. Weathers said there was no lingering threat to the public, but Midland Avenue remained blocked off, and police were still working the scene near Midland Avenue and East Short Street.
The timing made the shooting the city’s most immediate public safety concern on Saturday night, and it pulled officers and emergency crews into the downtown park area while investigators tried to sort out what happened. The Fayette County Coroner's Office pronounced the dead victim deceased, but police did not identify that person.
Devine Carama said he was only 8 inches away from gun fire and saw life-saving action as first responders arrived, a detail that captures how quickly the scene turned chaotic. He was close enough to feel the danger, while at least three emergency vehicles were seen leaving the area as the response continued.
There is still no public explanation for what led to the shooting. Weathers urged anyone who may know someone inclined to use a weapon to contact police before something happens, and Lexington Police Department and Bluegrass Crime Stoppers listed tip lines at 859-258-3600 and 859-253-2020. For now, the unanswered question is not whether police have a scene to investigate; it is who, if anyone, saw the warning signs before five people were shot in Charles Young Park Lexington KY.
