Authorities said two U.S. Bank employees died after a gunman entered the Berea branch and opened fire.
LEXINGTON, KY — An 18-year-old Kentucky man was federally charged Friday after authorities said two employees were fatally shot during a robbery at a U.S. Bank branch in Berea, setting off a chase and overnight manhunt.
Brailen Weaver faces federal charges of armed bank robbery, using a firearm in a crime of violence and causing death with a firearm during that crime. The charges were filed in U.S. District Court in Lexington after investigators said they tied Weaver to the masked gunman through bank video, social media posts, clothing and a vehicle seen near the branch. State officials also said murder charges would be pursued.
The robbery happened about 1:57 p.m. Thursday at the U.S. Bank at 630 Chestnut St. in Berea, a city about 36 miles south of Lexington. Federal officials said the gunman entered wearing a hood, a black mask and gloves, then immediately shot and killed a male bank employee before fatally shooting a teller. The victims were identified by state police as Brian Switzer, 42, of Jessamine County, and Breanna Edwards, 35, of Madison County. Both worked at the bank. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Parman said Friday that “senseless violence has no place in our community” and said investigators would work to answer for the loss.
Investigators said the gunman checked multiple drawers inside the bank before leaving. Authorities had not said by Friday whether any money was taken. Surveillance footage showed a silver BMW sedan with an Alabama license plate near the branch, and investigators later connected the vehicle to Weaver, according to court records described by officials. The suspect was described in the federal complaint as a slim, light-skinned male wearing a light-colored hoodie, medium gray pants, black gloves, a black mask and white sneakers with light gray accents. Authorities said customers were inside the bank at the time, but no other deaths were reported.
The search widened Thursday as state, local and federal officers reviewed video, canvassed neighborhoods and followed leads across central and eastern Kentucky. Officials said Weaver was identified within 24 hours, even though the robber’s face was covered. The FBI found the BMW on Interstate 75 later Thursday night, and officers tried to stop it. The pursuit topped 100 mph on the highway and later reached about 130 mph on Newtown Pike in Lexington, according to the federal complaint. Officials said Weaver avoided spike strips, crashed the BMW and ran from the wreck. A firearm was found in the car, according to investigators.
Weaver was captured around 3 a.m. Friday near Interstate 64 in Lexington, authorities said. Kentucky State Police, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lexington police and other agencies joined the response. Olivia Olson, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Louisville Field Office, said the arrest ended the immediate danger but not the grief left behind. “The only solace that we can offer is that this individual, who valued a stolen dollar more than two human lives, will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Olson said at a Friday briefing.
The killings shook Berea, a Madison County city known for Berea College and its small downtown blocks. Schools in the area were placed on lockdown Thursday while officers searched for the suspect, and students were later picked up by parents instead of being sent home by bus. U.S. Bank said it was working with law enforcement and supporting the victims’ families, employees and the Berea community. The company said in a statement that it was “deeply saddened” by the deaths of two employees at the branch. Federal prosecutors said bank robberies involving deaths are unusual, even though armed threats during robberies are not.
A witness, Craig Williams, said he arrived for a 2 p.m. appointment and walked into the bank moments after the shooting. Williams said the suspect pushed past him and told him to get back before leaving. Williams said another employee pulled him inside when he began to run after the gunman. He then found Switzer wounded on the floor and gave first aid until emergency crews arrived. “He didn’t make it and I wish I could have saved him,” Williams said. “But I did everything I could.” Williams said he knew both employees and had spoken with Edwards the day before.
Weaver is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The case remains under investigation by the FBI, ATF, Kentucky State Police and Lexington police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton is representing the federal government. Weaver is scheduled to make his initial appearance Monday at 2 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Lexington, while Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman’s office prepares to pursue state murder charges.
Author note: Last updated May 2, 2026.