By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- Lexington, N.C. — Off-duty Officer Kaitlin Crook, 25, was killed; an off-duty Lexington firefighter was critically wounded; and a third man was hospitalized in stable condition after a shooting in a parking lot on Cedar Lane Drive. Police1
- Victims identified: Crook, Zachary Rogers, 35 (firefighter; Crook’s estranged husband), and Joshua Moore, 31(Crook’s boyfriend). Police1+1
- Timeline/location: Call came around 9:13 p.m., Dec. 17 outside Home and Appliance King near Cotton Grove Rd.; all three suffered multiple gunshot wounds. WXII
- Evidence/status: Police recovered a handgun believed to belong to Moore; investigators call it an isolated incident among people who knew one another. The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation is leading the case. Police1+1
LEXINGTON, N.C. — An off-duty Lexington police officer was fatally shot and two men were wounded during a confrontation in a south Lexington parking lot Wednesday night, authorities said.
Responding officers found three people with multiple gunshot wounds shortly after 9:13 p.m. on Dec. 17 outside Home and Appliance King on Cedar Lane Drive. Officer Kaitlin Crook, 25, who joined the department in September 2024, was pronounced dead at the scene. Zachary Rogers, 35, an off-duty Lexington firefighter identified as Crook’s estranged husband, was transported in critical condition. Joshua Moore, 31, identified as Crook’s boyfriend, was hospitalized in stable condition and is expected to recover, officials said. Police1+1
Investigators said the three knew one another and described the shooting as an isolated incident. A handgun believed to belong to Moore was recovered at the scene. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is now leading the probe as detectives work to determine the sequence of events and who fired which shots. Police1
Lexington Police Chief Robby D. Rummage called the killing “every chief’s worst nightmare,” and the department has made counseling and support services available to officers. Fire Chief Michael R. Tofano said the shooting was a profound tragedy for the city’s public safety community, with counseling also offered to fire personnel. Police1+1
Authorities asked anyone with information to contact investigators as they continue gathering evidence and witness statements. Further updates will be released by the SBI and Lexington Police. Police1