Coroner identifies Lexington homicide victim as 16-year-old

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Police are investigating a shooting at a Lexington park with multiple victims.

Police say officers were dispatched to Pine Meadows Park in the 1600 block of Tazewell Drive at 2:08 p.m. in reference to a possible shooting with a victim.

They say they found a male juvenile suffering a gunshot wound who was transported to a local hospital, and a second male juvenile victim arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound.

A third person was found dead nearby. The coroner identified that person Thursday morning at 16-year-old Christopher Valdez.

Robert Fleming, a nearby homeowner, tells us he actually found Valdez dead in a creek by his house. He says he knows the area well and found him almost two hours after police arrived on the scene.

“I did call out. They didn’t move. Then I saw what I thought was an ear and a hand. Definitely clothing. I backed out of the area and told one of the officers who was processing the scene,” said Fleming.

Fleming was at work Wednesday afternoon when he says he got a frantic call from his son, who said he had just witnessed a shooting from his bedroom window.

“He said he saw him cut through our backyard. And go into a hole in our backyard that goes into a creek by the crooked tree. I went and looked and saw a body back there,” Fleming said.

Police had taped off the area and were already searching.

“It’s very grown up and a good place to hide. I thought maybe someone went back there to hide. Or maybe he was injured. He said when he ran, he was sort of humped over. So I thought, well, he was maybe getting low, but he didn’t say there were any more bullets flying then. It just made me curious, so I went and looked,” Fleming said.

Police tell us they believe everyone involved in the shooting knew each other.

Those we’ve talked to that live in this neighborhood are, of course, concerned that this happened here and that it happened in the middle of the afternoon.

“This happened in the middle of the day. That makes me nervous to have my son here in the day now,” said neighbor Cathleen Montgomery.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about this case to call Lexington Police at (859) 258-3600. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Bluegrass Crime Stoppers by calling (859) 253-2020, online at www.bluegrasscrimestoppers.com, or through the P3 Tips App available at www.p3tips.com.