LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A shooting death in downtown Lexington on Sunday is causing some to rethink if it’s safe for them to go downtown at night. However, statistics show homicides downtown are very rare.
The shooting took place at Short and Limestone around 2:45 a.m., as many people were leaving bars.
Tash Suter, who lives near downtown, said after learning about the homicide she spoke with her friends and they decided they don’t want to go out at night anymore.
“Because you’re afraid if you’re downtown at night that something’s gonna happen, you don’t know,” Suter said.
Other people told LEX 18 they felt that shootings and homicides take place frequently downtown.
The numbers don’t back that up. Out of 44 homicides that took place in Lexington in 2022, only one took place downtown, according to public police data.
Of Lexington’s nine homicides this year, this is the first to take place downtown.
There were 21 homicides in Lexington by this time in 2022.
“It’s half of what it was last year so hopefully it means we're heading in the right direction,” said Bruce Cotton, who lives a few blocks away from the shooting scene.
Former Marine Aaron Hudler said you shouldn't let a shooting like the one that happened Sunday make you afraid. When people are afraid, and people stop going downtown, and there are bad impacts.
“These businesses lose income, these mom and pop shops, these breweries and restaurants they close,” Hudler said.
Instead, he said the space should be reclaimed.
“Don’t let one night’s narrative scare you from coming down here and enjoying the good stuff about Kentucky,” Hudler said.
Police arrested 31-year-old Scott Lawless with murder. They said he shot 35-year-old Kevin Reel.
