LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky State Police is the lead agency investigating the shooting spree in Lexington on Sunday. Family members of Beverly Gumm and Christina Combs are trying to move past the horror and remember their loved ones.
Monday, hair bows, bibles, hats and shoes still lie on the floor inside the Richmond Road Baptist Church.
Gumm’s daughters, Rachael Barnes and Star Jones spoke with Spectrum News 1.
Barnes said, “That’s actually one of the victim’s boot in the floor. But she sat, this is where our mother sat.”
Gumm sat in the same seat at church every Sunday. Gumm, a mother of eight, was the wife of church pastor, Jerry Gumm. Lexington Police said she and three others were shot by Guy House at the church. Earlier in the day House also shot a Kentucky State Trooper.
Jones said, “My mom was was the church. She was the pastor’s wife. She did programs to try to get more visitors in and get people in. And she was always worried about people’s salvation in there.”
Jones said she held on to her mother as she called 911.
“She was like, ‘God, please help me.’ And she told me she loved me. That was it.” She added, “My mom was was the church. I mean, she was the pastor’s wife. She did programs to try to get more visitors in and get people in. And she was always worried about people’s salvation in there,” said Jones.
Barnes recounted what led to the shooting. She said, “Mom’s like ‘Guy, Angel’s not here.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, somebody has to die today.’ That was his exact words. And so he shot the first one. My mother ducked. The second [bullet] hit her in the chest.
Their other sister, Christina Combs, was killed along with their mother. Combs was a nursing student at Bluegrass Community and Technical College.
Jones remembered her sister saying, “She was in school to be a nurse. She was going to graduate in December. She was smart as a tack. If you need any kind of medical knowledge, She she had it”
BCTC posted on X remembering Combs.
The husbands of Gumm and Combs—Jerry Gumm and Randy Combs—were also shot by House. Both are hospitalized recovering from their injuries.
Barnes said House arrived at the church looking for their sister, Angel Rutherford. Rutherford is the mother of House’s children and was not at the church.
Rutherford said she last saw House a month ago at the church where they discussed their daughter.
She said, “It didn’t go well. So I just kind of said, We’re not going to do this again, because I felt like that his behaviors were getting a little rocky. And you known him for such a long time because I’ve known him for 25 years.”
Barnes said right now the family is overwhelmed. “I mean, hold your loved ones close because you don’t know that could be the last time.”