State police: Gunman kills 5, then himself in rural eastern Kentucky; police ID shooter

Police: 47-year-old gunman behind Ky. shootings

JACKSON, Ky. — Authorities have released the identity of the man who they say killed five people in rural eastern Kentucky before turning the gun on himself.

State police say the gunman was 47-year-old Stanley Neace of the Mount Carmel community outside Jackson.

Neace lived in the trailer park where authorities say he shot and killed five other residents around 11:30 Saturday morning.

Trooper Jody Sims said the crime scene encompasses three homes in the trailer park. When state police arrived they heard a single gunshot and found Neace’s body on his porch. They found the five victims in the other trailers.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

JACKSON, Ky. (AP) — A gunman in rural eastern Kentucky killed five people with a shotgun before turning the weapon on himself Saturday, authorities said.

The shooting happened in a trailer park in the Mount Carmel community outside Jackson around 11:35 a.m. Saturday, Kentucky State Police and Breathitt County authorities said.

Sheriff Ray Clemons said the shooting appeared to be a domestic situation but it was too soon to make a complete determination.

Both Clemons and state Trooper Jody Sims say it’s too early to release the names of the shooter or his victims. Sims said he had no information about the ages or relationships between the victims. That and other information could be released later Saturday pending positive identification of the victims and notifying their families.

Sims said the shooter appeared to use a 12-gauge shotgun.

Authorities started receiving calls about multiple gunshots shortly after 11:30. Sims said troopers found five victims when they arrived about an hour later and “also a sixth person who’s believed to be the alleged perpetrator.” Troopers say the victim appeared to turn the shotgun on himself after killing the other five.

Breathitt County is located in the rugged eastern part of the state, almost 90 miles southeast of Lexington.