Birthday party horror: Four dead in Kentucky mass shooting
5:27 AM EDT, July 7, 2024
Four people are dead, and three were injured in a tragic shooting that occurred during a birthday party in Florence, Kentucky. A 21-year-old reportedly shot his ex-girlfriend and three others before committing suicide.
The mass shooting happened early Saturday morning on Ridgecrest Drive in Florence. In the house where the birthday party was taking place, police found seven people with gunshot wounds. Four people did not survive, and three were injured. According to CNN, their condition is described as critical but stable.
As reported by American media, the shooting victims are Shane Miller (20 years old), Hayden Rybicki (20 years old), Delaney Eary (19 years old), and Melissa Parrett (44 years old). The oldest victim was the homeowner, who organized her son's 21st birthday party.
The police quickly identified the young man who allegedly fired the shots. According to Florence Police Chief Jeff Mallery, the perpetrator is likely 21-year-old Chasey Garvey.
The 21-year-old initially fled the scene. Officers found him shortly afterward in a crashed car. Garvey had a gunshot wound, which, according to the police, he inflicted on himself. He was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Shooting in the USA. Who is the alleged perpetrator?
The motives of the perpetrator remain unknown. According to American media reports, the 21-year-old was not invited to the birthday party but was known to its participants. According to the "Daily Mail," one of the fatal victims - Delaney Eary - was the ex-girlfriend of the 21-year-old.
Garvey was known to the police before the shooting. In 2021, he was arrested and charged with raping a 13-year-old girl. In April 2023, after pleading guilty, he received a suspended sentence.
The 21-year-old had posed with guns numerous times, posting the pictures on social media.
According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, this is the 277th mass shooting (defined as one in which at least four people are shot, not including the shooter) that occurred in the United States in 2024.
