Gunman in Kentucky shooting spree that claimed 5 lives identified as Joseph Nickell

Officials in Paintsville, Kentucky, are saying that a shooting spree spread between two locations in northeast Kentucky claimed the lives of five people including the gunman who apparently took his own life. The shootings went down on the afternoon of February 10 in Paintsville, which is located about 160 miles southeast of Louisville, according to Yahoo! News! Police first heard about the shootings around 4 p.m. after a 9-1-1 call came into the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office regarding a shooting at a residence in rural Paintsville.

Sheriff Dwayne Price posted to his Facebook page earlier today that when deputies arrived at that residence, they discovered two people had been shot to death. Price went on to say in a Facebook statement that another 9-1-1 call came in to the office that led deputies and Paintsville police officers to an apartment in Paintsville where three more individuals, including the suspected shooter, were also found shot to death.

“This has been a horrific murder spree,” Price said. “There are no words to describe the heartbreak in seeing four lives taken due to the actions of one man. I have worked in law enforcement for 34 years. This is one of the most disturbing acts of violence I have ever seen.”  ~ per Fox News

The shooter has been identified as Joseph Nickell, whose car was found at the apartment complex where two of his victims were killed.  No other information regarding Nickell – or a motive for the shootings – has been released by the authorities, according to The Lexington Herald Leader.  Identities of the four shooting victims won’t be released until after their families have been notified.

Yesterday’s shooting spree in Paintsville comes only about three weeks after a 15-year-old student at Marshall County High School in Benton, Kentucky, shot and killed two of his classmates and wounded 18 more inside the school.

See: Prosecutors want teen Kentucky school shooting suspect to be tried as an adult

Heavy reports that Nickell maintained several different Facebook pages where he writes about being employed as a hairdresser and cosmetologist.

According to one [Facebook page] that was last updated on February 1, Nickell lived in Paintsville. Of the little other information that can be taken from that page, it shows that Nickell was a supporter of Israel. His profile image was a graphic of the Israeli flag.

On January 18, Nickell liked page titled “IDF Women.” The day before, Nickell wrote on his page, “Live your life too the fullest Keep Christ first!!!” Nickell is shown to be fan of Trump’s presidency and has made Islamophobic Facebook posts. ~ per Heavy

~ Written by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today   /   Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter