Louisville, Kentucky continues to reel from a mass shooting at a bank yesterday (April 10) that left five people dead along with the gunman. The weapon used in the attack was the all-too-popular AR-15, which has been used to kill in several tragedies, from children in Tennessee to elders in New York.
Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel spoke at a press conference today (April 11) about more details that emerged in the case. According to CBS News, Gwinn-Villaroel said the 25-year-old shooter legally bought the high-powered firearm from a local gun store on April 4.
The gunman, Connor Sturgeon, was an employee of the bank. He began live-streaming online and opened fire inside the building yesterday morning, killing five and injuring eight others. Police responded to the scene within three minutes and killed the shooter. “We do know this was targeted. He knew those individuals, of course, because he worked there,” Gwinn-Villaroel said. A motive for the attack remains unclear. Sturgeon’s home has been searched, but authorities didn’t specify what investigators encountered or if any other guns were found there.
Congressman Morgan McGarvey, who represents the area in Washington, noted the investigation was ongoing. “This investigation is dynamic. It is ongoing. But we know this shooter purchased an AR-15 rifle on April 4,” the politician said today. “We know he left a note. We know he texted or called at least one person to let them know he was suicidal and contemplating harm.”
The victims of the shooting range in age from 40 to 64. One of the people killed was 63-year-old Thomas Elliott, a senior vice president at the bank. Both Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said they were good friends with Elliott.
One of the policeman who ran toward the gunfire, 26-year-old Nickolas Wilt, was shot in the head and rushed to the hospital to receive emergency brain surgery. Wilt graduated from the police academy just 10 days before the shooting. Gwinn-Villaroel provided an update on his health to CNN earlier today. “Officer Wilt is still in critical condition, but he’s stable. He’s looking better. And so we’re hopeful and we’ll continue to pray,” she said. “I just swore him in, and his family was there to witness his journey to become a police officer.”