A Kentucky mother threw herself between her college student daughter and a gunman who shot seven people, four of them fatally, during a backyard birthday party over the weekend, likely saving her life.
Melissa Parrett was hosting a bash to celebrate her son’s 21st birthday when gunfire erupted on Saturday shortly before 3 a.m.
When officers arrived at the home in Florence, they found two people suffering fatal gunshot wounds outside on the front lawn, Florence Police Chief Jeff Mallery told reporters. Two more people were pronounced dead on the scene.
Parrett, a 44-year-old mother was among those killed. The other victims were identified as Delaney Eary, 19; Hayden Rybicki, 20; and Shane Miller, also 20.
Another three people were wounded in the gunfire, including Parrett’s daughter, 19-year-old Chloe Parrett, who’s a student at Eastern Kentucky University. Her father, Bruce Parrett, told WKYT Parrett died trying to save Chole, and that the would be “forever grateful.”
While Bruce was not present when the shooting started, he said he was called to the home from a few miles away in the early hours of Saturday morning.
“I parked at the top of the street and ran down to the house, where I saw all of the carnage of a scene no human being should ever have to witness in their life,” he said.
The gunman, identified as 21-year-old Chase Garvey, fled the scene shortly after the shooting. Officers tried to pull over his vehicle but he continued to drive, leading to a pursuit.
Florence Police Chief Jeff Mallery said it appears Garvey shot himself while driving, and then veered into a ditch. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
A motive for the mass shooting remained under investigation on Tuesday. Police said the gunman appeared to know those at the party, but he was not invited.
With News Wire Services
