4 dead and 3 injured in the mass shooting in Florence, Kentucky, were at the 21st birthday party

Four people were killed and three injured in a mass shooting in Florence, Kentucky. Florence police said the victims were at a 21st birthday party when shots were fired.

At about 2:50 a.m., officers were dispatched to a residence in Florence, about 11 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio, after reports came in that a Florence residence had been shot at. When they arrived, officers found multiple victims and people who attended the party said the suspect fled the scene, but they had a vehicle description, Police Chief Jeff Mallery said in the press conference.

A police officer and deputy from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office found the vehicle and attempted to stop it, but the suspect fled. The suspect, Chase Garvey, 21, then shot himself and caused an accident. He later died of his injuries after being taken to a local hospital, police said.

Suspect was not invited to the party, was a convicted felon: Police

Mallery said partygoers identified Garvey when police asked him who the suspect was. Police believe Garvey was not officially invited to the party.

Police said there was no further danger to the public as Garvey was believed to be the only suspect.

Mallery said Garvey is a convicted felon. According to an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the USA TODAY Network, Garvey, then 18, was accused in 2021 of raping a 13-year-old girl in the parking lot of a Northern Kentucky apartment complex.

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Victim of mass shooting identified

Chief Mallery released the names of the victims killed in the mass shooting Saturday morning.

• Melissa Parrett, 44, of Florence, Kentucky

• Shane Miller, 20, of Florence, Kentucky

• Hayden Rybicki, 20, of Elsmere, Kentucky

• Delaney Eary, 19, of Burlington, Kentucky

Mallery said Parrett was the owner of the home where the mass shooting occurred and that the party was for her 21-year-old son.

Three other victims are currently at UC Medical Center in Cincinnati and are in stable condition. The victims are expected to make a full recovery, police said.

“Very emotional”: Mass shooting shocks community

“This is the first time we’ve had a mass shooting in Florence, so this is very emotional,” Mallery said. “And my feelings go out to the victims and families, the police officers who responded and everyone who was affected by this situation.”

“Our officers are not much older than the victims,” ​​he said. “So the department and the city will be doing a debriefing with all of the officers who responded and offering them any support they can, like peer-to-peer conversations or medical assistance or anything like that.”

Florence Police Department Investigation and Crime Scene Units arrived at the scene to investigate the incident. Florence Police Department is asking anyone with information regarding the shooting to contact them at (859)-371-1234.

Featuring: Aaron Valdez, Killian Baarlaer and Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Investigator.

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on USA TODAY’s National Trending Team. Ahjané covers breaking news, auto recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Massacre in Florence, Kentucky leaves 4 dead, 3 injured