Crime

Police: Suspect admits he shot a Central Kentucky man who later died in Lexington

A Central Kentucky man died at University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital after being shot Tuesday night, according to the Fayette County coroner’s office.

Mario Walls, 33, died early Wednesday after he was shot in the abdomen at an apartment building on Beauford Place, according to the coroner’s office and Nicholasville police. He was transported to UK hospital by Jessamine County EMS before he died, police said.

There was “limited information” on a suspect when officers first began investigating, police said. But during the investigation, an officer encountered 45-year-old Michael Walker just before 1 a.m. at a Five Star convenience store nearby, police said. Walker had a handgun visible at his waistline, according to an arrest citation from officer Justin Jones.

Walker admitted to shooting Walls in the parking lot of the apartment building, Jones wrote. He was apprehended and initially charged with assault, according to court records. The charge was amended up to murder after Walls died, police said.

Walker was taken to the Jessamine County Detention Center, where he was held without bond, according to jail records. He was arraigned Wednesday and was scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Monday, according to court records.

This story was originally published October 14, 2020 at 3:02 PM.

Jeremy Chisenhall
Lexington Herald-Leader
Jeremy Chisenhall covers criminal justice and breaking news for the Lexington Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com. He joined the paper in 2020, and is originally from Erlanger, Ky.
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