Gunman kills five and injures nine in Louisville bank shooting
On Monday morning, a gunman opened fire at an Old National Bank branch in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, killing five people and injuring at least nine others.[0] The shooter, identified as 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon, was an employee at the bank who had purchased an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle legally from a local gun dealer a week prior to the attack. Sturgeon live-streamed his rampage on Instagram before police shot and killed him.
Among the victims were 40-year-old Joshua Barrick, 63-year-old Thomas Elliott, 64-year-old James Tutt Jr., 57-year-old Deana Eckert, and 45-year-old Juliana Farmer.[1] Two officers, Cory Galloway and Nickolas Wilt, were also shot by Sturgeon.[2] Wilt, who was on his fourth shift as a rookie, was struck in the head and remains in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon.
Sturgeon had attended the University of Alabama, where he earned both his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in finance while participating in an accelerated program.[3] He had worked as a summer intern for the Old National Bank for three consecutive years before joining as a commercial development professional in 2021 and a full-time associate and portfolio banker last year.[4]
A former friend and teammate of Sturgeon’s from high school described him as “smart, popular, and a star athlete” who wore a helmet during basketball games due to multiple concussions he had suffered.[5] In a 2018 essay written while at the University of Alabama, Sturgeon wrote that he struggled with his self-esteem and making friends.[6]
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg called the attack “an evil act of targeted violence,” while Governor Andy Beshear mourned the loss of his close friend Thomas Elliott, who had helped him build his law career, become governor, and give him advice on being a good dad.
As of Tuesday afternoon, three victims are still being treated at the University of Louisville Hospital, with one patient in critical condition and two others in stable condition.[7]
The Louisville Metro Police Department released body-camera footage from officers responding to the shooting on Tuesday.[8] Police also entered Sturgeon’s house in the Camp Taylor neighborhood seeking evidence, and investigators have shared little information so far about what they found.
The shooting has once again sparked debates about gun control laws in the United States and the need for better mental health resources. Police say they are still investigating the motive behind the attack.
0. “Shooter in Louisville purchased AR-15 rifle legally: Police chief” Al Jazeera English, 11 Apr. 2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/11/attacker-in-louisville-shooting-purchased-gun-legally
1. “Who is the Louisville shooter who killed 5 people at bank? What we know about suspect, motive.” Yahoo News, 11 Apr. 2023, https://news.yahoo.com/amphtml/louisville-shooter-killed-four-people-162024995.html
2. “Louisville body camera video captured tense encounter between police and gunman” NBC News, 11 Apr. 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/louisville-killer-legally-purchased-murder-weapon-less-week-massacre-rcna79132
3. “What we know about the gunman who opened fire at a Louisville bank” CNN, 11 Apr. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/10/us/connor-sturgeon-louisville-bank-mass-shooting/index.html
4. “Old National Bank shooting: What we know about Louisville gunman Connor Sturgeon” Courier Journal, 10 Apr. 2023, https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2023/04/10/connor-sturgeon-what-we-know-about-old-national-bank-shooter/70100386007/
5. “Louisville shooter Connor Sturgeon was star athlete but suffered ‘multiple concussions'” New York Post , 10 Apr. 2023, https://nypost.com/2023/04/10/louisville-shooter-connor-sturgeon-was-star-athlete-but-suffered-multiple-concussions/
6. “Louisville Shooting: Disturbing New Details of Suspect Connor Sturgeon's Livestreamed Carnage” The Daily Beast, 11 Apr. 2023, https://www.thedailybeast.com/louisville-shooting-disturbing-details-of-suspects-livestream-emerge
7. “Louisville authorities release police body camera footage from the shooting” NPR, 11 Apr. 2023, https://www.npr.org/2023/04/11/1169257146/ar-15-rifle-louisville-shooting-bought-legally
8. “Watch: Louisville Police Release Bank Shooting Body-Camera Footage” news.com.au, 12 Apr. 2023, https://www.news.com.au/world/watch-louisville-police-release-bank-shooting-bodycamera-footage/video/190a941e0219cec2c6dbb400996b897c
