Background: Police investigate a shooting at the Valley Station driver”s license office in Louisville, Ky. (WAVE/YouTube). Inset left: Raysa Pacios Valdes (GoFundMe). Inset middle and right: Leslye Harbin Jr. and Antwanette Chillers (Family/WDRB/YouTube).
A “line of people” had formed outside a Kentucky DMV office when several suspects approached and opened fire, killing three victims and shattering the lives of their loved ones, authorities say.
Now, more than a year later, police believe they’ve identified at least one of the gunmen responsible.
The Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) announced during a Thursday press conference that it arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with the deaths of 29-year-old Raysa Pacios Valdes, 18-year-old Leslye Harbin Jr., and 33-year-old Antwanette Chillers. The suspect is charged with murder, wanton endangerment, and receiving stolen property.
However, because the defendant was 17 at the time of the shooting, officers are not releasing his name.
On Feb. 21, 2025, “a crowd, a line of people” had formed outside the Valley Station driver’s license office in Louisville, Kentucky, Lieutenant and LMPD Homicide Unit Commander Les Skaggs said. Suddenly, three suspects approached, and all three fired weapons into the crowd.
“This happened despite that there were marked LMPD vehicles next door at a business where they were eating lunch,” Skaggs noted. “Officers were then immediately on scene.”
The suspects ran away, got into a vehicle, and drove off.
Harbin was pronounced dead at the scene. Chillers — Harbin’s mother — and Valdes were both rushed to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead. All three died from gunshot wounds.
Investigators determined that the vehicle the suspects used to get away from the scene had been stolen from a dealership days before. Officers recovered it and searched for evidence; Skaggs said the lead detective has served about 50 search warrants in the case.
After roughly 17 months of investigation, police arrested one suspect. “Additional DNA profiles have led us to identify other people who could be involved in this,” Skaggs said. “One possible suspect who was identified through a DNA profile has since been murdered in a separate homicide.”
The lieutenant added that the investigation is ongoing, and officers are trying to identify their third suspect, “but we need the community’s help.”
Chillers’ sister and Harbin’s aunt, Jamilia Chillers, told local Fox affiliate WDRB that when she learned police had arrested someone, “I was shaking.”
“It kind of felt like the same phone call I got when they were telling me that my sister and my nephew were the ones at the DMV, my heart sunk to my stomach,” she added.
A GoFundMe set up for Valdes said she was renewing her ID when she was killed at the DMV office. She left behind a husband and two young sons.
