Birthday Party Tragedy in Kentucky: Four Killed, Three Injured

A mass shooting occurred during a birthday party in Florence, Kentucky, resulting in four deaths and three injuries. The incident took place at a home on Ridgecrest Drive.

Details of the Incident

According to Florence Police Department Chief Jeff Mallery, officers responded to calls of an active shooter shortly before 3 am. They found seven victims with gunshot wounds. The victims were identified as Hayden Rybicki (20), Delaney Eary (19), Melissa Parrett (44), and Shane Miller (20).

The Suspect

The suspect, Chase Garvey (21), was known to the party attendees but was not invited. He fled the scene and was later found in a crashed vehicle with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Garvey was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Police Statement

Chief Mallery stated, “We’ve never dealt with this before. I know it’s going on throughout the nation, but this is the first time we’ve had a mass shooting in Florence. So, it is very emotional.”

Authorities confirmed that there is no ongoing threat to the community and an investigation is underway.

Statistics

This incident marks the 277th mass shooting in the US in 2024, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as one where four or more people are shot, excluding the shooter.