9 people, including 7 women, injured in 3 separate shootings in Lexington early Saturday
Three shootings in Lexington early Saturday left nine people injured, including seven who were hurt when shots were fired at Wild Health Field.
None of the injuries was thought to be life threatening, police said.
Lexington police said the first shooting was at the baseball stadium, where a private event was being held at 1:48 a.m. When officers arrived, they found two female victims with gunshot wounds. While they were investigating, police said five more victims, three of whom were women, showed up at local hospitals with gunshot wounds.
Police Lt. David Burnett referred questions to the ballpark about what kind of event was being held when the shooting occurred. Lexington Legends and Wild Health Genomes CEO Andy Shea declined to say what the event was.
“We are cooperating with the Lexington Police to assist their investigation into this shooting hoping to bring accountability to whomever is responsible,” Shea said in a statement. “We have been asked not to discuss the specifics of the situation due to the ongoing criminal investigation. However, I can say, the Stadium regularly houses events including charity events, little league team events, birthday parties, office get-togethers, and other community gatherings outside of baseball. At all events, including those mentioned, trained and professional security are always present ensuring all applicable codes, regulations and standards are followed.”
Less than an hour after the shooting at the stadium was reported, police were called to another shooting.
At 2:28 a.m., Lexington police found a woman with a gunshot wound when they were called to the 400 block of Oak Street. That woman was also taken to a hospital.
Another woman was found suffering from a gunshot wound when police responded to a call about shots fired on the 1100 block of Briarwood Circle at 6:12 a.m. Saturday. She was transported to a hospital.
As of 2 p.m. Saturday, police did not have any suspects in custody in connection to the shootings, Burnett said.
Police asked anyone with information about the shootings to call them at (859) 258-3600. Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling Bluegrass Crime Stoppers at (859) 253-2020, visiting bluegrasscrimestoppers.com, or through the P3 Tips app at p3tips.com.
Dave Cooper, who lives near Wild Health Field, said he’s concerned about the violence and late-night activities at the stadium.
“What’s the security? Why are people still on the property?” he asked. “I don’t feel safe.”
He said he’d like management and event hosts “to be held accountable.”
“There’s apartment buildings right next to the baseball stadium,” he said. “They have to realize that this is a neighborhood.”
The Legends announced later Saturday that they had decided to cancel their doubleheader scheduled for Saturday “in an effort to pay respect to the victims of the shootings in Lexington last night.”
This story was originally published August 27, 2022 at 11:02 AM.
