Here’s what we know about a mass shooting in Florence early Saturday that left four people dead and three wounded. The shooter also died.
Police have identified the shooter as 21-year-old Chase Garvey, a Florence resident. They believe he turned the gun on himself a short time after the shooting and died at a local hospital.
What happened in Florence mass shooting
During a press conference Saturday, Florence Police Chief Jeff Mallery said Garvey is believed to have gunned down seven people at a private residence, killing four and injuring three others.
It was during a birthday party at a home in the 2600 block of Ridgecrest Drive around 2:50 a.m.
Officers performed life-saving measures on the victims, but four died at the scene. Three others were wounded and taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. As of Saturday, Mallery said, they were in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery.
What happened to the suspect?
Partygoers identified the suspect as Garvey. Police said he fled in a vehicle after the shooting.
Officers pursued him south on U.S. 42 into Union and onto Hicks Pike. Police said they believe he shot himself, which caused him to crash the vehicle.
Garvey was taken to St. Elizabeth Florence Hospital where he died.
An initial investigation by Florence police found Garvey acted alone.
Who were the victims?
The four killed were: Melissa Parrett, 44, of Florence; Shane Miller, 20, of Florence; Hayden Rybicki, 20, of Elsmere; and Delaney Eary, 19, of Burlington.
Parrett, who was nicknamed “Missy,” worked at Toyota Boshoku America in Erlanger for over eight years, a company spokesperson told The Enquirer.
“Missy’s commitment, hard work, and positive attitude has left a lasting impact on all of us. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Missy’s children, family and loved ones during this difficult time,” the company said in a statement.
Paris Miller, whose brother Shane died in the shooting, said he was a “beautiful soul” and remembered him for his kindness and sense of adventure. If he wasn’t spending time with loved ones, he was out in nature with a fishing pole in his hand.
“I want them to all know how loving and caring he was, how much he loved everybody close to him,” Paris Miller told The Enquirer.
Paris Miller also knew Eary, one of the four killed, saying she had a beautiful smile and kind heart. Eary was an ex-girlfriend of the shooter, Paris Miller said.
The names of the three wounded people have not been released.
What we know about the shooter’s criminal history
This is not Garvey’s first encounter with law enforcement.
Kenton County court records show he was arrested in 2021 and charged in the rape of a 13-year-old girl.
In April 2023, Garvey was sentenced to five years of probation after he pleaded guilty to unlawful transaction with a minor in the second degree, a felony, court records show.
What qualifies as a mass shooting?
The phrase “mass shooting” is typically not used by law enforcement, but rather a way gun violence groups and media quantify incidents where multiple people are shot. There is no widely accepted definition of mass shooting.
The nationwide shooting-tracking organization, Gun Violence Archive, defines a mass shooting as an incident in which at least four people are injured, not including the shooter.
Everytown For Gun Safety, a gun violence prevention organization that tracks shootings across the U.S., has defined a mass shooting as any incident in which four or more people are killed, excluding the shooter. The organization noted, however, that “research and news coverage of these tragic events has expanded greatly, but the question of how to best define a mass shooting remains unsettled.”
The FBI calls it a mass shooting “when one or more people engage in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.” The bureau’s definition excludes shootings motivated by gang violence, drug violence, domestic disputes or hostage situations. It also does not include shootings resulting from another criminal act, such as a bank robbery.
Greater Cincinnati mass shootings in 2024
The mass shooting in Florence is Greater Cincinnati’s third such incident this year.
On Monday, three people were killed in Cincinnati’s Corryville neighborhood. A father and son were among the victims there.
On June 15, five people were injured in a shooting during a community gathering in Madisonville.
The shooting in Florence is the 20th mass killing in the United States this year, according to a database maintained by the Associated Press and USA Today. A mass killing is a broader term than a mass shooting. The Associated Press and USA Today define mass killings as incidents in which at least four people die, but not necessarily as a result of gunfire.
Based on early reports from police, the Florence shooting is similar to other mass killings because it occurred in a home, rather than a public place. It may have involved members of the same family. Additionally, it ended with a self-inflicted gunshot wound by the suspect.
What we don’t know
As of Sunday, we do not know the names or updated conditions of the three wounded victims. The Enquirer left a message with Florence police and the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for an update.
We also don’t know what motivated the shooter or whether he has any connections to those attending the party.
Enquirer reporters Aaron Valdez, Killian Baarlaer and Bebe Hodges contributed reporting.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 4 killed at birthday party in Florence, Kentucky, home: What we know
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