Kentucky police: Suspect in death probe shot behind school

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (AP/WTVQ) – Kentucky State Police say a man who allegedly shot and killed his wife at home has been fatally shot by police behind a school.

Trooper Jeff Gregory said 51-year-old Jesse Kilgus of Rineyville was shot in his van outside John Hardin High School in Elizabethtown, where he went to check his child out of school.

Gregory says police found the body of 46-year-old Ruth Marie Kilgus, also of Rineyville, then learned Jesse Kilgus planned to pick up his child from school and confronted him there.

News outlets report the shooting happened around 1 PM Wednesday. Gregory said no students or school employees were injured.

Trooper Gregory notified the Hardin County Board Of Education that Mr. Kilgus was on his way to the school, which prompted John Hardin High School to go on lockdown along with two other nearby schools.

Mr. Kilgus reportedly attempted to get into the school around 12:50 PM, was denied entry by a school resource officer because of the lockdown, and returned to his van.

Hardin County Sheriff John Ward arrived at John Hardin High School at 12:53 PM and immediately interacted with Jesse Kilgus while he was sitting in his van in the back parking lot of the school. 

Other law enforcement arrived during the interaction.

The officers tried to talk Mr. Kilgus into getting out of his van.

Reports say 5 minutes after the initial interaction, Mr. Kilgus raised his handgun in a threatening manner and was shot multiple times by several officers.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Hardin Co Coroner. 

Gregory did not yet have details about the circumstances that led to the shooting but says seven officers from three departments fired shots.

KSP continues to investigate the incident.