Off Duty LPD officer killed, two wounded in shooting at Appliance King
LEXINGTON, NC – A little after 9 PM on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, off-duty Lexington Police Officer Kaitlin Crook was shot and killed in a horrific tragedy.
Lexington Police Chief Robby Rummage has asked the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation to lead the investigation. The NCSBI investigation is ongoing and there are many things that we don’t know yet. We want to be as transparent as possible while respecting the ongoing investigation.
Last night, Lexington Police responded to 911 calls about shots being fired and found Officer Crook as well as two men with gunshot wounds. First responders arrived a short time later and began first aid and life-saving measures. Tragically, Officer Crook was pronounced dead at the scene.
Zachary Rogers, an off-duty Lexington Firefighter and the estranged husband of Officer Crook, was one of the men suffering from a gunshot wound. He is in critical condition at the hospital. A handgun believed to be his was recovered at the scene.
Joshua Moore of Thomasville, NC was the other man shot at the scene. We believe that Mr. Moore was Officer Crook’s current boyfriend. He’s in stable condition at the hospital and is expected to recover. A handgun believed to be his was also recovered at the scene.
Neither Officer Crook nor Zachary Rogers were on-duty at the time of the shooting. All three people knew each other and we don’t think anyone else was involved in the shooting. We won’t know anything else for certain about the shooting until the NCSBI investigation is complete.
“There are no words that can adequately capture the weight of what so many people are feeling during this terrible and devastating time,” Lexington Police Chief Robby D. Rummage said. “Losing a police officer is every chief’s worst nightmare. My heart is heavy, and my prayers are with everyone touched by this tragedy. We will continue to lean on one another, in support of each other, and get through this together.”
Lexington Police have made counseling and support available for our police officers.
“This incident is a profound tragedy that deeply affects the public safety family in the City of Lexington as well as all City employees, the Lexington community and beyond,” Lexington Fire Chief Michael R. Tofano said. “Our hearts are heavy with grief.”
The Lexington Fire Department has also made counseling available to its employees.
“There are a lot of things we simply don’t know yet about this terrible tragedy,” Chief Rummage continued. “We simply have to wait for the NCSBI investigation to answer those questions.
