Hate crime considered in shooting
Man accused of killing 2 in Ky. may have made racial comment
JEFFERSONTOWN, Ky. — The fatal shooting death of two black grocery patrons by a white gunman is being investigated as a possible hate crime, a U.S. official said Friday.
Federal investigators are looking into whether any federal laws were violated, “which includes potential civil rights violations, such as hate crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Russell M. Coleman.
Gregory A. Bush, 51, has been charged with murder and other crimes in the deaths of the man and woman at a Kroger store Wednesday in Jeffersontown, on the outskirts of Louisville. The FBI is also investigating.
“The murders are not being taken lightly by the United States government,” Coleman said.
Police said Bush attempted to enter a historically black church minutes before entering the grocery store. A surveillance video confirmed Bush’s presence at the Jeffersontown First Baptist Church about 10 to 15 minutes before he went to the Kroger, Police Chief Sam Rogers said. The church is headed by a black pastor and has a large African-American membership. Bush “appeared to try to gain access to the church,” Rogers said.
The media reported that Bush made a racial comment after the deadly shootings.
Rogers said it was too soon to say whether the shooting was racially motivated. Rogers said Bush apparently does have a history of mental illness.
An arrest report says Bush walked into the Kroger, pulled a gun from his waist and shot a man in the back of the head, then shot him multiple times “as he was down on the floor.” The report says Bush reholstered his gun, walked outside and shot a woman multiple times in the parking lot. Bush was standing at arm’s length when he shot the woman in the back of the head.
A man carrying a concealed weapon who happened to be in the parking lot challenged Bush, and police say the suspect then “began firing wildly” at him.