A disgruntled ex-worker armed with an AR15 rifle opened fire in Old National Bank in Louisville, Kentucky, killing five innocent people and wounding eight, before dying from a gunshot themselves.
Louisville Metropolitan Police Department identified the suspect as Connor Sturgeon, a 23-year-old bank employee at Old National Bank, who was reportedly recently fired.
Shockingly, he was live streaming the attack on social media, police said in a press conference tonight. "That's tragic to know that that incident was out there and captured," she said. "We're hopeful that we can have that incident removed, that footage removed."
LMPD said he shot 13 people including two officers. Six people were still in the hospital. Of those, three are in critical condition, and three are not. Three more people have been treated and were released.
BREAKING: Louisville shooter Connor Sturgeon NAMED - Ex-employee, 23, texted friend he'd 'shoot up bank'
The LMPD police chief noted that the shooter hadn’t previously engaged LMPD.
Earlier, the LMPD confirmed officers responded to "reports of an active aggressor" after the gunman opened fire in the bank.
The five deceased victims were identified as Joshua Barrick, 40, Thomas Elliot, 63, Juliana Farmer, 45, James Tutt, 64, and Deana Eckert, 57. One of the dead includes a close friend of Kentucky's governor.
Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said the 23-year-old shooter fired at responding officers, who returned fire to “stop that threat”.
Sturgeon joined the bank full-time in 2021 after three consecutive summer internships.
Police also clarified that the suspect was killed by police and not from a self-inflicted wound and released the name of the officer who stopped him.
Officer Nickolas Wilt, 26, was a new officer to the LMPD and had just graduated from the police academy ten days ago, on March 31 and was just sworn in the police department.
He suffered a gunshot in the head and was rushed to the hospital where he underwent brain surgery and remains in critical condition.
The University of Louisville Hospital said it received nine patients including seven civilians and two police officers.
Two officers were shot during the exchange, Louisville Metro Police Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey said.
Of the injured, two are in critical condition, one of which is a police officer.
At least three of the patients have already been discharged, according to the hospital.
Sources said armed police had to force their way into the bank, where terrified workers had taken shelter inside a vault.
During a press briefing, police confirmed that the shooter was live-streaming the attack on his Instagram account.
His account, with the handle @csturg41 has been taken down and police are in possession of the video, it was reported.
Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, said in a statement that it had “quickly removed the live stream of this tragic incident this morning.”
Following the massacre, police forces including a SWAT team entered Sturgeon’s home in Louisville to investigate.
KWQC-TV reported that police were worried that boobytraps may have been set up at the location.
They were seen leaving with three or four big brown paper bags of evidence as well as a computer, it was reported.
WLKY News reported that police searched the property for other firearms, explosives and boobytraps that could have been left behind by the shooter.
Sturgeon was notified that he was going to be fired from his position at the Old National Bank in Louisville.
He left a note for his parents and a friend saying that he was going to shoot at the bank, a source told CNN.
Sturgeon wrote a note for his parents and a friend indicating that he was going to shoot at the bank, the source said.
Whether that note was on paper or emailed, or whether it was seen before the incident or after, was not clarified.
The shooter had been working at the bank full-time since June 2021, according to his LinkedIn account.
Although it is unclear when the account was last updated, it still listed him as working there.
He worked as a syndications associate and portfolio banker at the bank and also worked there as an intern for three summers.
Sturgeon was originally from Greenville, Indiana, but lived in Louisville on Taylor Boulevard.
He graduated from Floyd Central High School, where he played basketball.
His father, Todd Sturgeon, was the head basketball coach at the high school and was hired in 2014 when Connor was a 6-foot-4 sophomore, according to Courier-Journal.
However, the elder Sturgeon resigned from his position in 2022, stating that he wanted to spend more time with Connor and his younger son.
Connor Sturgeon had earned both a Bachelor's and Master's degree, with his master's degree in finance from the University of Alabama.
A former friend of Sturgeon, who asked to remain anonymous, described him as the popular kid in high school.
He told the Daily Beast: “I know everyone always says this about shooters but I truly would have never expected it to be him."
He added that Sturgeon always wore a helmet during basketball games because he had suffered so many concussions.
Sturgeon's classmate noted: "The big thing I keep going back to is that in the first year of high school, we played football together in eighth grade, he was out most of the year because he had multiple concussions.
"Then he had a couple more in high school. I’m not saying it’s the cause but I always think back to that…
"There were times I’d wonder, will this catch up with him? But never in this way. He’s the last person I'd expect would do this."
“Let’s be clear about what this was,” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said. “This was an evil act of targeted violence.”
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear revealed he knew some of the Louisville bank victims personally.
Holding back tears, he said at a press conference: “This is awful. I have a very close friend who 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.”
Mr Humphrey called the shooting "a tragic event” but praised officers who prevented more victims.
He revealed: "It was the heroic response of officers that made sure that no more people were more seriously injured than what happened.”
A witness inside the building told WHAS11 they saw a man with a "long assault rifle" fire multiple shots inside the bank on the first floor.
The eyewitness said: "He just started firing. I didn't see his face. We were in the conference room. Whoever was next to me got shot, there's blood on me."
Old National Bank CEO Jim Ryan was en route to Louisville to help assist staff affected by the tragic shooting.
He said: “The safety of Old National Bank employees and everyone we serve in our banking centre locations is paramount.
“As we await more details, we are deploying employee assistance support and keeping everyone affected by this tragedy in our thoughts and prayers.”
President Joe Biden paid tribute to the victims as he once again called for gun reform.
He tweeted: "Once again, our nation mourns after a senseless act of gun violence – Jill and I pray for the lives lost and impacted by today's shooting. Too many Americans are paying for the price of inaction with their lives.When will Republicans in Congress act to protect our communities?"
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took to Twitter to comment on the shooting, calling it a "tragedy".
She said: "The tragedy in Louisville, Kentucky, is the 15th mass shooting in the first 10 days of April. Our hearts break for all affected.
"Too many families are grieving loss - but we are not helpless. We can act; we must act to End Gun Violence."
Republican Morgan McGarvey called the shooting a "dark day" and revealed he is "heartbroken" by the violence.
He tweeted: "Today is a dark day in our community.I'm heartbroken by the loss of at least four innocent Louisvillians in yet another act of senseless gun violence, this time in the heart of our city, and I'm grateful for the heroic acts of first responders who no doubt saved lives today."
It was initially believed the motive for the attack may not have been a robbery.
Mr Humphrey said the gunman “did have a connection to the bank,” believing him to be a former employee.
Armed officers responded within three minutes of their first call encountering the suspect “almost immediately," the police chief added.
The suspect was still firing gunshots, according to officers. It was unclear if the killer died from gunfire or a self-inflicted wound.
Mr Humphrey confirmed the shooter was a "lone gunman."
He said: "We're trying to establish what that connection was to the business but it appears he was a previous employee."
"We're trying to establish what that connection was to the business but it appears he was a previous employee.
Victims have been rushed to a nearby hospital, including a heroic police officer who suffered various injuries, after an eyewitness claimed they heard "10-15 shots and screaming" from within the building.
Terrance Sullivan, who lives in a nearby building, told Courier Journal: "It was a lot of activity for like 20 seconds.
"The sound is what I keep thinking about. It was so loud. People in my building who were inside could hear it. Being outside on the street as it happened - I've heard gunshots before, but not that many like that."
Michael Clemons, who lived near the shooter, revealed when he went for a run he was stunned to find three people outside his house crying.
He tweeted: "My block, where the alleged shooter used to live, is surrounded with cops now. When I ran by at 9:15 there was a cop car at the house and three people standing outside crying. This hit too close to home."
Mr Humphrey confirmed the suspect was dead on arrival and the active shooter threat is over.
He said: "The shooter was confirmed to be dead on the scene. We do not know exactly the circumstances of his death at this time."
He said there was no active danger to the public at this time.
However, members of the public being asked to stay away from the scene.
Bullet holes and shattered glass were spotted outside the building where the gunman opened fire on victims.
The suspect's vehicle, a Mazda 6, has been located outside the bank - with the FBI currently at the scene.
An eyewitness, who did not want to be identified, told WRB she was driving along when she heard several gunshots breaking glass.
She said: "As I was sitting at that intersection, gunfire erupted, like, right over my head.
"I didn't know if it was going at the bank or out of the bank I took off. "When I turned, I saw that one of the windows in the bank had been blown out."
According to the eyewitness, the shots were being fired everywhere.
She added: "They were coming from everywhere. The police were coming out of their cars with black rifles."
"I just ducked in my car and waited there."
Cops are currently directing traffic around the Old National Bank with a crime scene being placed around the building.
Cops said in a Tweet: "We are confirming reports of an active aggressor in the 300 block of East Main. Please stay out of the area. There are multiple casualties."
Governor Andy Beshear said he was heading to the scene after "multiple" casualties were shot by an active shooter.
He tweeted: "LMPD has confirmed a shooting situation in downtown Louisville with multiple casualties. I am headed there now. Please pray for all of the families impacted and for the city of Louisville."
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg also said there was an "active police situation downtown."
He pleaded for the public to "please avoid the area around Slugger Field until further notice."
According to local media reports, a dozen police cars were on the scene along with three ambulances as emergency services were called to the bank.
Witnesses who left the building told WHAS-TV they heard gunfire inside the building.
“I’m almost speechless. You see it on the news but not at home,” said Kami Cooper, 38, who lives in the neighbourhood.
Numerous police vehicles were seen on television footage. WHAS reporters said they saw people being taken from the scene in ambulances.
Crime scene investigators could be seen marking and photographing numerous bullet holes in the windows near the bank’s front door.
The shooting, the 15th mass killing in the US this year, comes just two weeks after a former student killed three children and three adults at a Christian elementary school in Nashville, in the same state, Kentucky, about 160 miles to the south two weeks ago.
They have been at least 146 mass shootings in the States in 2023 after only 101 days in the year.
A mass shooting is defined by the US Department of Justice “as any incident in which at least four people are murdered with a gun.”
We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.
