UPDATE: This story has been revised to reflect new information. Earlier Friday, police told WDRB News that the two deceased individuals found inside the residence were juveniles. Police have since revised their information and now say the deceased individuals were an 18-or 19-year-old male and a 25-year-old female. This story has been changed to reflect that new information.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Homicide detectives have arrested a man after a standoff outside a Smoketown apartment that ended early Friday morning when police stormed the residence and found two adults dead inside.
24-year-old Ricardo Taylor is charged with murder, kidnapping, assault, and possession of a controlled substance -- suspected cocaine.
Police responded to a report of shots fired at an apartment at St. Catherine and Jackson Street around 11:30 Thursday night.
The hostage negotiation team spent hours trying to resolve the situation, but talks broke down early Friday and officers heard gunshots. Shortly after that members of the SWAT team fired tear gas. After a man and woman rushed out, police stormed the apartment and found the bodies of two adults -- a 18- or 19-year-old male and 25-year-old Tela Harvey.
"At this point, the investigation is still ongoing," said LMPD spokeswoman Alicia Smiley said this morning. "In fact, it's being turned over to our homicide unit. Our officers did not discharge their weapons at all during this incident. We still have a lot of details to sort through and hopefully we'll have more information as it becomes available."
The coroner says Harvey died at the scene of multiple gunshot wounds. A cause of death has not yet been released on the other victim found in the apartment with Harvey.
A woman was taken to University Hospital for treatment for a gunshot wound that is not considered life-threatening.
A friend of Taylor says he wish he would have known his friend was in trouble when he saw him earlier this week. "If I could've been here it wouldn't have happened," said Diontray Jackson. "I would've talked him out of it. I would've let him know your life is more important than this right here."
During the standoff, police shut down about four blocks in Smoketown near the residence and people were evacuated from their homes. A TARC bus was brought in overnight to provide a place for people to take shelter while waiting to get back into their homes. Some people couldn't re-enter their residences until the fumes from the tear gas dissipated.
Police are looking into reports that Taylor was holding people at gunpoint just before the shooting.
Police say it is unclear why Taylor shot the victims, or if he knew them.
We'll bring you more information as soon as it becomes available.
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Ricardo Taylor (Source: Louisville Metro Corrections)
Victim Tela Harvey
