Concern grows over violence in downtown Lexington after deadly shooting

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Police are investigating a shooting early Sunday morning that led to the death of 35-year-old victim Kevin Reel.

Minglewood is on the corner of North Limestone. That’s where Grace Adkins was working Saturday night. Before she left work, she says alleged shooter Scott Lawless came into the restaurant for a job interview.

" I met him on Thursday night outside of Crossings, and I was like, ‘Come into where I work. Get some food.’ And he actually did last night,” said Adkins.

She said that during the interview, her friend Kevin Reel stopped by. But after her shift, she tells us that Reel and Lawless were the last two people to leave the restaurant.

She didn’t see either of them for the rest of the night. She only communicated with Reel over the phone.

“The last thing I had texted him was at like 12:45 just ‘Hey, I’ll catch up with you later,” said Adkins.

Just a few hours later, Reel was shot and killed just steps away from where she was.

“Upon leaving downtown, I realized I haven’t been to Molly’s or Crossings all night, and you start to see that there’s tape around and that there was a shooting,” said Adkins.

A survey from the National Institute of Health says there is an increase in the number of mass shootings during the summertime, and Adkins believes crime in downtown Lexington has been more apparent.

“I think after COVID and readjusting, it’s just been hotter downtown. You just start to hear of more senseless violence,” said Adkins.

She fears that it will continue to be this way, potentially making Lexington an unsafe environment.

Scott Lawless is facing a murder charge and is currently being held in the Fayette County Detention Center.

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