A masked man shot and killed two employees during a bank robbery in central Kentucky on Thursday afternoon and the search for the suspect continues, authorities said, urging residents to remain vigilant.
During a news conference on Thursday, Kentucky State Police Trooper Scottie Pennington told reporters the suspect entered a U.S. Bank on Chestnut Street in Berea around 2 p.m. local time before shooting two employees and then taking off.
“We understand the citizens of Berea and in Madison County, they’re scared right now, and we’re scared for them,” Pennington said. “We want to do our best to find this person and bring him to justice.”
Kentucky State Police released this image of the suspect in a bank robbery in Berea, Kentucky, on April 30, 2026.
Police
The suspect was described as about 6 foot, 3 inches tall, wearing a light-colored hooded sweatshirt, dark gloves, gray pants and light-colored athletic shoes, according to state police.
Pennington said authorities are not sharing if the suspect took anything with him from the bank and weren’t sure if the suspect fled on foot or in a vehicle. Residents should remain vigilant, keep their doors locked and call police if they see anything suspicious, Pennington said.
“Keep a porch light on,” he said.
“We don’t want this to lead to more victims,” Pennington said. “We hope he just turns himself in.”
In a message directly to the suspect, Pennington said: “You’re in a lot of trouble — a lot of trouble — but just turn yourself in before anyone else gets hurt.”
Berea, a city of more than 16,000 people, is roughly 40 miles south of Lexington.
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