Officials reported that on Monday, a 25-year-old bank employee named Connor Sturgeon used a rifle to carry out a shooting at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky. The attack resulted in the deaths of five people, including a close friend of Governor Andy Beshear named Tommy Elliott, and wounded eight others, including two police officers. Sturgeon, who was reportedly live-streaming the incident on Instagram, also died in the attack.
The Gunman
The deceased victims were identified as Joshua Barrick, Jim Tutt, Juliana Farmer, Deanna Eckert, and Tommy Elliott. As a mark of respect for the victims, Gov. Beshear ordered flags across the state to be flown at half-staff until Friday evening.
Louisville Shooting Victims
According to the police, the mass shooting occurred at the Old National Bank on East Main Street shortly after 8:30 a.m., which was about half an hour before the bank opened to the public.
During a morning employee meeting, where some were present in person and others were attending virtually, the incident took place, as reported by Rebecca Buchheit-Sims, a bank manager who witnessed the attack through her computer while her colleagues were being shot.
Within three minutes of being dispatched, the officers arrived at the bank to find the shooter still firing, informed Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police. The officers engaged in a shootout with the gunman, ultimately killing him, as per Gwinn-Villaroel.
A police officer named Nickolas Wilt, aged 26, sustained critical injuries while responding to a mass shooting at Old National Bank, caused by a gunman who opened fire. Along with another officer, Wilt was hurt during the incident and suffered a gunshot wound to the head, which required immediate brain surgery. However, in a 3 p.m. update, the police department stated that his condition had stabilized. The LMPD praised Wilt for his bravery, stating that he had run toward the gunfire to save lives.
Who is Connor Sturgeon?
During his freshman year at Floyd Central High School in Floyds Knobs, Indiana, Connor Sturgeon was a versatile athlete, participating in basketball, football, and track. Sturgeon’s father, a former college and high school basketball coach, retired last year after leading his team to two sectional titles with a 142-45 record.
The high school in Floyd Knobs is located just 10 miles away from downtown Louisville. Prior to coaching, Sturgeon’s father had left his position as head coach at the University of Indianapolis in 2007 to spend more time with his family when his sons were 9 and 6 years old, according to a report from his alma mater, DePauw University. After completing three summer internships at Old National Bank, Sturgeon worked as a syndications associate and portfolio banker for approximately two years.
According to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation, Sturgeon had been employed at the bank for over a year but had received notification of his termination. The source further stated that Sturgeon had written a note to his parents and a friend, suggesting that he intended to carry out a shooting at the bank. It remains uncertain whether the note was written on paper or sent via email, and whether it was discovered prior to or after the incident, as per the same source. The shooting was broadcast live on Instagram and was removed from the platform, albeit not immediately after the incident.
