It was around 8:30 a.m. on a busy Monday morning in Downtown Louisville when a 25-year-old suspect identified as Connor Sturgeon walked into Old National Bank on Main Street with a rifle in his hands. Within seconds of him entering the building, he was firing gunshots inside the bank – ultimately killing five people and injuring eight others.
Louisville police officers were quick to respond and only took approximately three minutes to arrive at the scene once they received the phone call. The suspect was still shooting when police arrived, but officers were able to take the suspect out – there were six deaths in total, including the suspect.
BREAKING: Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear chokes up as he describes today’s tragic mass shooting at a bank in Louisville and reveals a personal friend of his was among the victims.
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) April 10, 2023
"I have a very close friend that didn't make it today," he said holding back tears.
The governor… pic.twitter.com/IVf6gT8Bt3
The police are still trying to piece the puzzles together and have yet to find a motive for the Louisville bank shooting. But they do know that the suspect was live-streaming the shooting – which has since been taken down. The investigation is still young and they’ll be learning more in the coming days and weeks.
The names of those killed today during the bank shooting in Louisville:
— Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) April 10, 2023
Joshua Barrick, 40
Thomas Elliott, 63
Juliana Farmer, 45
James Tutt, 64
Officer Nick Wilt, 26, is in the ICU.
He was shot in the head by #ConnorSturgeon and had just joined the force.
Please pray. pic.twitter.com/gsm9lLYXKY
In the hours following the ‘senseless act of gun violence’ – as President Joe Biden described it – police officers identified four of the five victims as Joshua Barrick, 40, Thomas Elliott, 63, Juliana Farmer, 45, and James Tutt, 64. All four of the deceased victims were employees at the bank and knew the suspect.
Later in the evening, Louisville Metro Police Department confirmed a fifth victim had died from her injuries – 57-year-old Deanna Eckert.
As for the eight people who were injured, they were rushed to the University of Louisville Hospital for immediate treatment. Five of those people suffered gunshot wounds and three of them required immediate surgery as they were listed in critical condition. Three of the injured victims were released.
There were also two wounded police officers, both of whom were engaged in the shootout with the suspect. While one of the officers walked away with minor injuries, the other one – 26-year-old Nickolas Wilt – was in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head. He’s in critical, yet stable condition.
Officer Nickolas Wilt, a new officer to the LMPD, ran towards the gunfire today to save lives. He remains in critical condition after being shot in the head. pic.twitter.com/yPNZBfAl7I
— LMPD (@LMPD) April 10, 2023
Wilt was less than two weeks removed from being sworn in as an officer. He graduated from the police academy on March 31. The Louisville Metro Police Department confirmed that he was running toward the gunfire to save lives when he was shot in the head. He continues to fight for his life in the hospital.
What Do We Know About the Louisville Bank Shooting Suspect?
The 25-year-old Louisville bank shooting suspect was identified as Connor Sturgeon – an employee at the Old National Bank that he terrorized on Monday morning. He has been an employee there since 2018, when he was hired as a summer associate intern, but joined the bank full-time two years ago.
Police have learned that Sturgeon knew he was going to be fired before opening fire inside the bank and even wrote a note addressed to his family before committing the senseless act. The suspect also knew there was an employee meeting at the time of his attack, which is likely why he chose to do it at that time.
BREAKING: Five people were killed and six wounded, including a police officer, in a shooting at a downtown Louisville bank. The shooter is dead. pic.twitter.com/owKJ7dtw0X
— Paul Miles (@PaulMiles840) April 10, 2023
One manager of the bank was attending the meeting remotely and watched the events unfold on her computer screen at home – witnessing firsthand as one of her employees opened fire on several of her other employees. She described Sturgeon as ‘extremely intelligent’ and others were shocked by his behavior.
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“Our community will continue to come together. We will find ways to love and support one another and the families and friends who have been directly impacted by these acts of gun violence, and we will come together as a community to work to prevent these horrific acts of gun violence from continuing here and around the state,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg.