LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two young brothers, ages 6 and 9 years old, are dead, and their mother is in custody following a shooting on Wednesday.
Officers responded to the 200 block of Bentwood Drive, in Shepherdsville, at 11:07 a.m. Wednesday, a Bullitt County Sheriff's Office spokesperson said.
Col. Alex Payne, chief deputy with the Bullitt County Sheriff's Office, described the response time as "very [quick], within just a few minutes."
Both children were taken to Norton Children's Hospital, where they died from the injuries.
"I'll give you the cliché answer first; a lot of people will say 'it's part of the job,' but it's the part that you dread," Payne said. "The part that you hope that you go your entire career and never see."
The boys' mother, 32-year-old Tiffanie Lucas, was arrested shortly after the shooting and has been charged with two counts of murder for the death of her children. She is currently being held on a $2 million bond.
Bullitt County Police said this remains an active and on-going investigation. They could not detail any potential motive or disclose the moments that led up to the shooting.
Lucas remains in custody at the Bullitt County Detention Center and is expected in court Thursday.
"It would be speculation whether you think it's mental illness, just pure evil, a combination of both," Payne said. "None of it's good. The result is horrific. Our prayers at the Bullitt County Sheriff's Office are with family members."
Lucas has previously been charged with drug offenses, according to court records, with the most recent incident occurring in 2018.
"It was shocking; nobody ever thinks it's going to happen in your neighborhood," Bill Ward, a nearby homeowner, said. "You don't expect this, no matter where you live, but here especially."
Neighbors told WHAS11 News they just saw the boys playing in the front yard on Tuesday.
"[It's] kind of upsetting, nobody back here wants to hear about kids getting shot; nobody wants to hear about people getting shot," a neighbor who's lived on Bentwood Drive since 2004, said. He asked to remain anonymous given the sensitive nature of the incident.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.