Five Killed and Nine Injured 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 victims of the shooting were identified as bank employees Josh Barrick, 40; Deana Eckert, 57; Tommy Elliott, 63; Juliana Farmer, 45; and Jim Tutt Jr., 64.[1] Two police officers, Cory Galloway and Nickolas Wilt, were also shot by the gunman.[2] Galloway was grazed on his left side, while Wilt was shot in the head and remains in critical condition after undergoing brain surgery on Monday.[3] The shooter, identified as 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon, was an employee at the bank and had purchased the AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting legally six days before the incident.[4]
Body camera footage released by the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department showed how responding officers were able to shoot and kill the gunman from outside the building.[5] Sturgeon was also livestreaming the shooting on Instagram before being killed in a shootout with police.[6] In a 2018 college essay at the University of Alabama, Sturgeon wrote about his struggles with self-esteem and making friends, stating that “making friends has never been especially easy, so I have more experience than most in operating alone.”[6]
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear spoke highly of victim Tommy Elliott, saying that he helped him build his law career and was “an incredible friend.” A community-wide prayer vigil was held on Wednesday night in honor of the victims of the shooting.
In a statement released by Sturgeon's family, they expressed their sorrow and horror at his actions, stating that “we mourn their loss and that of our son, Connor. We pray for everyone traumatized by his senseless acts of violence and are deeply grateful for the bravery and heroism of the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department.”[3] Senator Morgan McGarvey also revealed that Sturgeon left a note and had texted someone prior to the shooting that he was suicidal.[7]
The tragic shooting in downtown Louisville highlights the ongoing issue of gun violence in the United States and the need for stricter gun control measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
0. “5 patients discharged, 3 patients remain in hospital following Louisville mass shooting” WAVE 3, 11 Apr. 2023, https://www.wave3.com/2023/04/11/5-patients-discharged-3-patients-remain-hospital-following-louisville-mass-shooting/
1. “LMPD: 4 dead, 9 injured including 2 officers from downtown Louisville shooting; suspect dead” WAVE 3, 10 Apr. 2023, https://www.wave3.com/2023/04/10/lmpd-4-dead-9-injured-including-2-officers-downtown-louisville-shooting-suspect-dead
2. “Louisville bank shooting bodycam footage released” CBS News, 11 Apr. 2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/louisville-bank-shooting-police-bodycam-footage/
3. “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
4. “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
5. “3 victims remain hospitalized, 1 critical from mass shooting in Louisville” WDRB, 11 Apr. 2023, https://www.wdrb.com/news/3-victims-remain-hospitalized-1-critical-from-mass-shooting-in-louisville/article_466f7cd6-d870-11ed-8f9d-1b807bade898.html
6. “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
7. “Family of Louisville bank gunman says there was ‘no indication he was capable' of shooting” WLKY Louisville, 12 Apr. 2023, https://www.wlky.com/article/louisville-mass-shooting-gunman-family-old-national-bank/43571096
