Madison County boy identified as victim in accidental fatal shooting

The 14-year-old boy killed in an accidental shooting in Estill County has been identified by authorities as Jett Ballard, of Berea.

Estill County Coroner Jimmy Wise identified Jett, according to reports from Herald-Leader news partner WKYT.

The shooting happened around 1:30 p.m. July 12 on Clark Road. Jett was accidentally shot by a 13-year-old outside a home, police said.

Kentucky State Police Post 7 in Richmond assisted with the investigation at the request of the Estill County Sheriff’s Office.

Foul play is not suspected, Wise said.

Jett was set to attend Madison Southern High School in Berea, and was a former football player at the Farristown Middle Football program, according to the Kentucky Middle School Football Association.

Jett was a two-year All-Star Classic player, and he played on the Region 3 Battle of the Region teams during his middle school career.

A GoFundMe was set up to support the Ballard family with a goal of $20,000. As of Wednesday afternoon, nearly $15,000 has been raised.

Taylor Six

Lexington Herald-Leader

Taylor Six is the criminal justice reporter at the Herald-Leader. She was born and raised in Lexington attending Lafayette High School. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 2018 with a degree in journalism. She previously worked as the government reporter for the Richmond Register.