Lexington apartment complex condemned after deadly gas leak
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- City condemned a 32-unit Lexington complex after fatal carbon monoxide leak.
- Owner must complete repairs before inspections clear tenants to return.
- City and faith groups provide aid; one death, 11 hospitalized in incident.
A Lexington apartment complex where a 62-year-old man died and nearly a dozen others were injured after a suspected gas leak Monday morning has been condemned, said city spokesperson Susan Straub.
On Tuesday, red “condemned” notices from the city’s Division of Code Enforcement were taped to the outside of every door of the two-story, 32-unit Oxford Circle Apartments, just off Versailles Road, in the Cardinal Valley neighborhood.
The owner of the complex, Oxford KDR LLC, is responsible for the repairs, Straub said. Tenants won’t be able to move back in until both the state plumbing inspector and the city’s code enforcement division have inspected and approved the repairs.
The building is expected to reopen in about a week, Straub said.
In the meantime, the city has helped affected tenants by providing short-term hotel stays and other assistance, Straub said. The city’s Office of Housing Advocacy and Community Development has taken applications for assistance from 20 units of the building and reached out to every tenant.
Anyone affected by the condemnation and in need of assistance is encouraged to call Community and Resident Services at 859-300-5300.
The Harvest Worship Center, across the street from the apartment building, is providing meeting space for families, food and drinks, clothing and other support for residents of the apartment, Straub said.
A spokesperson for the fire department said Tuesday that officials initially went to the apartment complex about two hours before the death for a report of a sick person.
The patient met paramedics outside the building and did not detect carbon monoxide.
The department then returned two hours later for a report of an unconscious person. Responding paramedics met with several patients and detected high levels of carbon monoxide, escalating the response.
The man who died was identified Tuesday morning as 62-year-old Samuel Gross. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 11 people who were injured are expected to survive. One person remains hospitalized, Straub said, but their condition was not available Tuesday afternoon.
Code Enforcement staff members are investigating the gas leak with local and state officials, as well as Columbia Gas, Straub said. The cause of the gas leak has not been determined.
The building was sold in 2019 to its current owner, Oxford KDR LLC, for $1.1 million, according to property records.
This story was originally published July 9, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
