In Berea, Kentucky, authorities have detained a person of interest linked to the tragic shootings of two bank employees during a robbery, a state trooper announced on Friday.
Trooper Justin Kearney shared online that the individual is “believed to be involved” in the Thursday heist at a Berea bank.
According to state police, the suspect, clad in a gray-white hoodie, gloves, and a mask, entered a U.S. Bank branch and fatally shot a male and female employee.
In their pursuit of leads, law enforcement canvassed neighborhoods, seeking information and surveillance footage. The search efforts were bolstered by helicopters, drones, and canine units. The operation saw collaboration between the Lexington Police Department, county sheriff’s offices, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“This was a team effort,” Kearney noted in a Friday morning update.
Further details about the investigation have not been disclosed.
Area schools went into lockdown for a while Thursday until campuses were deemed safe. Students were not allowed to go home on buses and had to be picked up by their parents, state police said.
U.S. Bank said it was working closely with law enforcement and committed to supporting the victims’ families and bank colleagues.
“We’re deeply saddened by the tragic event that took the lives of two of our employees at our Berea, Kentucky branch earlier today,” the company said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, our colleagues and the entire Berea community.”
Berea is about 36 miles (58 kilometers) south of Lexington.
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