A violent early-morning shooting on Russell Cave Road outside the Northside Branch of the Lexington Public Library left two men dead on August 2, 2025. One victim was 52-year-old Edward Van Bert Parker of Lexington; the Fayette County Coroner’s Office determined Parker died from gunshot wounds. The other victim was 71-year-old Ashim Heanacho.

Police found both men deceased at the scene and arrested 69-year-old Deborah Weiss at the location. Weiss was charged with two counts of murder and, according to her arrest citation, admitted to shooting both men. She was booked into the Fayette County Detention Center on a $1 million bond.

Parker was born June 15, 1973, in Frederick, Maryland, grew up to live in Lexington and graduated from Henry Clay High School. An obituary describes him as a devoted father and grandfather who embraced the teachings of the Nation of Islam at age 18. His death was reported as the city’s 14th homicide of the year.

Did anyone in the Lexington area know Edward Parker or have information about what happened that night?