A lone gunman who attacked the Old National Bank in downtown Louisville killed five and wounded at least eight others, authorities said, including two police officers.
The shooter, who police identified as Connor Sturgeon, 25, died in an exchange of gunfire with police, investigators said. Authorities said Sturgeon fired multiple times inside the building, and then shot at responding officers with a rifle before being killed.
The attack happened around 8:30 a.m. local time and police said Sturgeon livestreamed the shooting.
“This was an evil act of targeted violence,” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said Monday afternoon.
What we know about the attacker
According to his LinkedIn profile, which was taken down after the shooting, Sturgeon was a summer intern at the bank starting in 2018, and graduated from the University of Alabama, where he got both bachelor’s and master’s degrees by the end of 2020.
The University of Alabama said Monday that Sturgeon attended UA from fall 2016 to December 2020. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business Administration – double major in finance and economics.
The university said he was in the Accelerated Master’s Program so he also earned an MS in Finance when he graduated in Dec. 2020.
He started working fulltime for Old National Bank in June 2021, and was most recently a syndications associate and portfolio banker, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Records show he attended Floyd Central High School in Indiana, just west of Louisville, where he played on the basketball team coached by his father.
MAPPING THE INCIDENT:Old National Bank shooting in Louisville, Kentucky, kills 5
What was the Louisville shooter’s motive?
Authorities have not yet released specific information about the shooter’s motive. They described him as a “lone gunman” who worked at the bank.
Authorities said Sturgeon broadcast his attack on the internet, which has become relatively common.
“Unfortunately that’s tragic– to know that incident was out there and captured,” said Louisville Metro Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel. The chief said investigators are working to remove the video from online availability.
Of 192 public mass shooters in the U.S. since 1966, at least 58 were “workplace” shooters – about 30%, according to The Violence Project. “Today would be the 59th workplace shooter in our data,” said James Densley, co-founder of the nonprofit research center.
The Violence Project defines a mass shooting in which four or more people are killed with firearms – excluding the shooter – in a single, public event not connected to an underlying crime like robbery.
100 DAYS INTO 2023:Louisville attack marks nation’s 146th mass shooting and 15th mass killing
How did the shooter die?
Police say responding officers killed Sturgeon.
“The suspect shot at officers. We then returned fire and stopped that threat,” said Gwinn-Villaroel. “The suspect is deceased.”
Police said Sturgeon shot officer Nickolas Wilt, 26, in the head, critically injuring him. Wilt, who had joined the department on March 31 upon graduation from the police academy, underwent brain surgery and remains hospitalized.
“For my LMPD officers who took it upon themselves to not wait to assess everything, but just went in to stop the threat so that more lives would not be lost: Thank you,” Gwinn-Villaroel said.
The chief said her department had no record of any prior contacts with Sturgeon.
“This will be a long, complex investigation involving local, state and our federal partners,” she said.
What gun was the shooter carrying?
Authorities say Sturgeon attacked the bank with a rifle. They did not specify what kind, citing the ongoing investigation and the desire Monday to focus on victims.
Police on Monday cordoned off a small home in the Camp Taylor neighborhood of Louisville where Sturgeon lived, according to public records.
Police wouldn’t allow anyone onto that part of the street and canvassed the neighborhood asking residents if they had any sort of video of the street. Late in the day, police entered the home and removed bags of evidence.
What connection does the bank have?
In an emotional press conference, Gov. Andy Beshear said he ran his 2015 campaign for attorney general from the bank building and knows many of the people who work there.
“I know virtually everyone in it. That’s my bank,” Beshear said, tearing up. “This is awful. I have a very close friend that didn’t make it today. And I have another close friend who didn’t either. And one who’s at the hospital that I hope is going to make it through.”
In a statement, bank officials did not address Sturgeon’s employment but asked for the community’s support for the victims.
“The safety of Old National Bank employees and everyone we serve in our banking center locations is paramount,” Old National CEO Jim Ryan said in the statement. “As we await more details, we are deploying employee assistance support and keeping everyone affected by this tragedy in our thoughts and prayers.”
‘AN EVIL ACT’:Louisville gunman was bank employee, livestreamed shooting that killed 5. Live updates.
Who were the victims?
Gwinn-Villaroel said the five deceased victims were Jim Tutt Jr., 64, Tommy Elliott, 63, Juliana Farmer, 45, Deana Eckert, 57, and Josh Barrick, 40.
Contributing: Grace Hauck, USA TODAY, and Ken Roberts, Tuscaloosa News, and Sam Upshaw and Joe Gerth, Louisville Courier-Journal, members of the USA TODAY Network
