2 dead, 18-year-old arrested in Kentucky bank robbery
Police in Kentucky said Friday morning that they captured a person they believe killed two people during a bank robbery in Berea, Ky., on Thursday.
Braelin Weaver, 18, was arrested Friday morning, according to WLKY-TV in Louisville.
A man wearing a black mask and gloves shot two bank employees in a U.S. Bank branch, a Kentucky State Police representative said Thursday. The man fled the scene before police arrived and was later involved in a car chase from Somerset to Lexington, Ky., reaching speeds of 130 mph. He then hit a tree and fled on foot.
State Police Trooper Justin Kearney posted an update on Facebook Thursday, saying, “A person of interest believed to be involved in yesterday’s Berea bank robbery has been apprehended.”
The two bank employees who were killed were identified by the police as Breanna Edwards, 35, of Madison County, Ky., and Brian Switzer, 42, of Jessamine County, Ky. Berea is in Madison County. Jessamine County is southwest of Lexington.
Weaver went into the bank at 2 p.m. Thursday, police said. After allegedly shooting the employees, he searched some drawers then drove off in a silver BMW, which police found he had posted for sale on Facebook.
Police found him in Somerset near I-75, then chased him north to Bryan Station Road in Lexington, about 80 miles.
After he crashed the car, police said they found a gun inside. Weaver faces several federal charges including armed bank robbery, use/discharge of a firearm in a crime of violence and causing death with a firearm during the incident.
If convicted, he could face up to life in prison or the death penalty.
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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 12:59 PM.