COLUMBIA, Ky. (WAVE) — Kentucky State Police have released new details after a shooting and hours-long standoff in Adair County left four people dead, including the suspected gunman.
According to KSP, deputies with the Adair County Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance call on Chestnut Grove Road in Columbia just before 11 a.m. CDT. When officers arrived, they encountered 39-year-old Ryan Sneed, who was armed and began firing at them, forcing officers to take cover as they remained pinned down for hours.
Additional law enforcement agencies, including KSP, responded to the scene and were also fired upon as Sneed barricaded himself inside the home.
Throughout the standoff, officers attempted to negotiate a peaceful resolution, but Sneed continued to shoot at law enforcement at times. Officers returned fire on several occasions, according to KSP.
Around 7 p.m., Sneed exited the residence while still armed. Members of the KSP Special Response Team then shot and killed him. Authorities confirmed that no law enforcement officers were injured.
During the standoff, investigators learned Sneed had threatened to kill family members, prompting welfare checks.
At a home on Lakeview Drive, officers found Sneed’s 67-year-old mother, Joyce Sneed, dead. His aunt, 63-year-old Debra Clark, was found dead at another residence in Adair County.
Police believe Sneed was a person of interest in both deaths. Other family members were located safe.
Back at the Chestnut Grove Road scene, officers also found a third victim inside the residence, identified as 37-year-old Michael Adam Curry.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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