2 employees killed in Kentucky bank robbery, suspect at large, police say

Two employees were shot and killed Thursday in a bank robbery in Kentucky, and a search was underway for the suspect, authorities said. 

Kentucky State Police said a man wearing a light-colored hoodie, a mask and gloves went to a U.S. Bank in Brea, about 36 miles south of Lexington, and shot and killed a man and a woman, both employees at the bank. Their names were not immediately released. 

“This is a terrible day for Brea,” Trooper Scottie Pennington, a state police spokesperson, said at a news briefing. “They’re our people that work in our community, and they’re no longer with us.” 

Pennington said authorities had some leads and were “trying our best to bring this evil person to justice.”

It’s unclear if the suspect left the bank with anything. Local and state police responded along with the FBI and other federal agencies.

State police posted a photo of the suspect on social media and asked the public to call with any information. Police said the man was approximately 6-foot-3, and fled the scene on foot.

“If you see something strange and you don’t feel right about it — you know, your dogs are acting weird — call us,” Pennington said. 

Nearby schools were briefly placed on lockdown until officials determined the campuses were safe. Students weren’t allowed to leave on buses and instead had to be picked up by their parents, Pennington said.

U.S. Bank told the Associated Press in a statement that 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.”