BEREA, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — The attorney general is seeking the death penalty against 19-year-old Brailen Weaver, the alleged shooter in the April 30 Berea bank shooting that killed two people.
Russell Allen of the Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty said executing Weaver would not bring justice to the victims' families or prevent future crimes.
"It's a very tragic case that happened, but there's nothing about the death penalty and nothing about executing that particular person that will bring those people back to their family or that will stop any similar crime from happening in the future," Allen said.
The death penalty has also been a topic at the state capitol. Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 251 this year, giving the Department of Corrections another way to set execution procedures.
A spokesperson for the bill's sponsor, Sen. Steve West, said the law is meant to address delays in Kentucky's execution procedures, while still allowing those procedures to be challenged in court.
The spokesperson added that West believes "that the legal process must be respected at every stage."
When asked about the attorney general's intention to seek the death penalty against Weaver, West's office said, "Because this case is now before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment on the case."
Allen said the money spent on capital cases could be redirected toward prevention.
"We could take those millions of dollars and we can put those into those front end solutions so that we never have things like this materialize," Allen said.
Allen said 24 people are currently on death row in Kentucky, but the state has not carried out an execution since 2008. He said the debate over the death penalty is far from over.
"When we talk about executing a person and taking them off of the earth, our belief is that the state just doesn't have jurisdiction to do that. No person has jurisdiction to do that," Allen said.
Read below for full statement from Dustin Isaacs, Deputy Communications Director, Kentucky Senate Majority Caucus:
"The deaths of Breanna Edwards and Brian Switzer were horrific, and the thoughts of the entire Senate Majority Caucus remain with their families and everyone who loved them. They deserve answers, accountability and justice. Because this case is now before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment on the case or speculate on what sentence may ultimately be imposed.
What I can say is that Kentucky law permits prosecutors to seek the death penalty while guaranteeing every accused person a fair trial, a full defense and the right to appeal.
Sen. Steve West believes that process must be respected at every stage. He also believes that once a jury imposes a lawful sentence and the available appeals have been exhausted, procedural delays should not prevent that judgment from being carried out. That concern led Sen. West to sponsor Senate Bill 251 during the 2026 legislative session. The law gives the Department of Corrections another way to establish execution procedures without relying exclusively on the administrative regulation process. It also requires any resulting policy to be made public and preserves the right to challenge an execution protocol.
Kentucky has not carried out an execution in nearly two decades, and litigation over the state’s procedures remains unresolved. Senate Bill 251 was intended to address one source of that delay and provide a clearer path forward under existing law. Sen. West’s position remains that each branches of government should fulfill its respective responsibilities, resolve the remaining legal questions and provide finality for victims’ families whose cases have already moved through trial and years of appellate review.”
Carlee Hogsten is committed to covering the stories that matter to you. If you have an idea, please reach out to Carlee at carlee.hogsten@wlex.tv.
