Berea bank robber indicted on murder charge. AG says he will seek death penalty
The 19-year-old who allegedly opened fire inside a Berea bank and killed two people was charged with two counts of murder Wednesday, according to Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman.
Brailen Weaver, 19, was indicted Wednesday by a Madison County grand jury for two capital murder charges and a count of fleeing and evading police after a deadly April 30 robbery and shooting.
Coleman’s office says he intends to seek the death penalty for Weaver, who is also facing federal charges related to the robbery. He faces the death penalty for those charges too.
The incident happened around 2 p.m. April 30 at the U.S. Bank on Chestnut Street in Berea. A federal affidavit says Weaver entered the bank, shot and killed Brian Switzer, 42 and shot and killed Breanna Edwards, 35, shortly afterward.
After shooting Switzer and Edwards, Weaver checked multiple drawers and fled the bank.
Officials identified him as the suspect through the vehicle he fled in and social media posts, according to the affidavit. The FBI found Weaver’s vehicle on Interstate 75 Thursday night and tried to chase it, but the affidavit says he drove faster than 100 mph and avoided a set of spike strips before exiting the interstate at exit 115 in Lexington. Kentucky State Police previously said the pursuit ended on Bryan Station Road and Weaver fled on foot.
The affidavit says officials found a gun inside his car. Weaver was arrested around 3 a.m., according to Jason Parman, first assistant United States attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
