Two Killed in U.S. Bank Robbery in Berea, KY; Massive Manhunt Underway

Two employees were shot and killed during a Thursday afternoon bank robbery at a U.S. Bank branch in Berea, Kentucky, prompting a multi-county manhunt for an armed suspect described as about 6-foot-3 and wearing a light-colored hoodie, mask and gloves, police said cbsnews +1. The victims, identified as Breanna Edwards, 35, of Madison County, and Brian Switzer, 42, of Jessamine County, both worked at the Chestnut Street branch and died after the 2 p.m. attack wkyt +1.

Kentucky State Police said the gunman entered the bank shortly after 2 p.m. on April 30, opened fire inside and then fled, triggering lockdowns at nearby schools and a sweeping law-enforcement response across central Kentucky kentucky +1. One victim was pronounced dead at the scene; the second died at Saint Joseph Berea Hospital, according to the Madison County coroner and state police kentucky +1. The suspect remained at large as of early Friday, and authorities warned residents not to approach him lex18 +1.

How the Manhunt Unfolded Across Central Kentucky

State police, Berea officers and Madison County deputies quickly expanded the search beyond the immediate area, using helicopters, drones, K-9 units and FLOCK license-plate cameras to track a silver BMW with Alabama plates believed linked to the robbery wkyt +1. The investigation led officers into multiple counties, including Rockcastle and Fayette; local outlets reported a high-speed pursuit that ended when a suspect vehicle crashed into a tree in Fayette County, though police had not publicly confirmed an arrest or identified the suspect wkyt +1.

Troopers went door-to-door near search areas and urged residents to keep porch lights on, stay inside and report anything unusual, including dogs barking or suspicious activity, to Kentucky State Police Post 7 wlky +1. “We’re trying our best to bring this evil person to justice,” Trooper Scottie Pennington said, emphasizing that the suspect should be considered armed and dangerous and that the public should “not approach” him under any circumstances wlky +1.

A Community Shaken by Familiar Trauma

Berea, a college town of about 16,000 some 36 miles south of Lexington, had no recent history of comparable violence, and the shooting quickly revived memories of the 2023 mass shooting at Old National Bank in Louisville that left five employees dead fox56news +1. U.S. Bank said it was “deeply saddened by the tragic event that took the lives of two of our employees” and pledged support to the victims’ families and colleagues wlky. Local schools briefly locked down, bus routes were delayed, and Berea College took precautionary safety measures as police searched for the gunman kentuckytoday +1.

Rep. Andy Barr, who represents the area, said he was praying for employees and customers “put in harm’s way” and thanked local and state law enforcement for their response kentucky. Residents left flowers near the taped-off branch Thursday evening as word spread that the dead were well-known community members and parents wkyt +1.

The Bigger Picture

The Berea killings added to a series of high-profile bank shootings in Kentucky over the past three years and were likely to intensify debate over workplace security and gun violence as investigators worked to establish a motive and determine how the gunman obtained his weapon fox56news +1. With the suspect still unaccounted for and details about what, if anything, was stolen yet to be released, authorities focused on closing the manhunt and reassuring a region suddenly on edge that, as one trooper put it, “somebody came in to our town and hurt one of our own” — and would be found lex18.