Louisville shooting : Gunman to be tested for CTE as victims’ funerals begin today

Connor Sturgeon will be tested posthumously for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), his father says

Gunman’s mother and co-workers call 911 during Louisville mass shooting

The gunman behind the Louisville bank shooting will be tested posthumously for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), his father has said.

Connor Sturgeon’s family have said he suffered from “mental health challenges” but showed no warning signs of what he planned to do before he carried out the shooting at the Old National Bank on Monday.

Funeral arrangements were released on Thursday for most of the five bank employees killed in the massacre, with the first taking place for Tommy Elliott on Friday.

Chilling 911 calls have also been released of terrified bank employees reporting the shooting.

In one of the calls, a woman speaks in hushed tones as she says she is hiding in a closet from the gunman. Multiple gunshots ring out in the background as the dispatcher urges her to “stay quiet”.

Sturgeon’s mother also called 911 saying that her son “currently has a gun and is heading toward” the bank.

Key Points

• ‘We had nowhere to run,’ wounded bank employee says
• Ex-mentor says ‘he never made me feel like he would have done this’
• Awareness grows of link between concussions and CTE
• Shooter’s father says he will be tested for brain disease
• 911 calls: Caller says gunman fired at least 15 shots into room with more than 12 people

[13 April 2023 12:00 · Gustaf Kilander]

Louisville shooter Connor Sturgeon livestreamed bank attack as he killed five and injured nine

The Louisville shooter has been identified as 25-year-old bank employee Connor Sturgeon.

Sturgeon has been identified as a white man who used a rifle to attack staff at the bank where he worked – Old National Bank in downtown Louisville, Kentucky.

He went on his rampage after being notified that the bank where he had worked since 2021 was ending his employment, law enforcement sources told CNN.

Sturgeon also left a note for his parents and a friend telling them that he was going to attack the bank, the source added.

Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said that Sturgeon fired at responding officers, who returned fire to “stop that threat”. She confirmed that the suspect was shot and killed by police.

[13 April 2023 12:15 · Rachel Sharp]

Over $110,000 donations raised for Officer Wilt

Over $110,000 has been raised to support Louisville Metro Police Department Officer Nickolas Wilt who remains in critical condition following Monday’s shooting.

The officer, who was only sworn in days earlier, was shot in the head by the gunman as he responded to the scene.

A fund was set up by the Louisville Metro Police Foundation to pay for his medical expenses and recovery.

“Nick’s family wanted us to share a little about him with the community he has dedicated his life to serving,” the foundation said in a statement on Facebook.

“Nick has served as both a firefighter and a dispatcher and graduated the academy on March 30th. Since the sudden death of his father in February Nick has stepped up and taken over being a handyman for his mom, whom he dearly loves.”

[13 April 2023 12:30 · Rachel Sharp]

Update on the victims

On Wednesday, University of Louisville Health gave an update on the conditions of the victims wounded in Monday’s attack.

Aside from the five victims killed, eight other people were shot and wounded in the mass shooting.

Two days on, six of those patients have been discharged while two remain in hospital.

Louisville Metro Police Department Officer Nickolas Wilt remains in critical condition after he was shot in the head responding to the shooting.

The other patient, who has not been identified, is in stable and fair condition.

[13 April 2023 12:45 · Rachel Sharp]

LISTEN: Louisville shooter’s mother’s desperate 911 call

[13 April 2023 13:00 · Gustaf Kilander]

Louisville gunman carried out bank shooting in one minute before waiting to ambush police

The Louisville bank shooting was over in one minute, after which gunman Connor Sturgeon waited for police to arrive and was shot and killed by law enforcement.

The 25-year-old livestreamed the attack on Instagram, but the footage has since been removed.

The social media footage starts by showing a bank worker saying good morning to the shooter followed by the AR-15-style firearm, according to an official who outlined the events shown in the video, CNN reported.

The official said the footage shows the gunman then trying to shoot the woman who just spoke to him, but he’s unable to because the safety is on and the firearm still needs to be loaded.

He then takes the safety off and loads the weapon before proceeding to shoot the woman in the back.

[13 April 2023 13:15 · Rachel Sharp]

Community vigil leads to calls for action

The community vigil on Wednesday heard many speakers make calls for action to tackle the nation’s gun violence.

Dr Muhammad Babar with UofL Health issued a plea to take steps to stop more communities being torn apart by mass shootings.

“Please do something. We all want this epidemic of death to end, which is wearing down our nation,” he said.

Whitney Austin, who survived a 2018 mass shooting, choked up with emotion as she urged lawmakers to do more.

“When you feel broken an defeated, like we all do now, this is the most important moment for you to find hope,” she said.

“Because it is only through hope that you can find the strength to take action. And it is only through action that change will ever come.”

[13 April 2023 13:30 · Rachel Sharp]

Vigil held in memory of victims

The victims of Monday’s mass shooting were remembered at a vigil on Wednesday.

Hundreds gathered to honour the five victims killed in the attack – Josh Barrick, 40; Tommy Elliott, 63; Jim Tutt, 64; Juliana Farmer, 57; and Deanna Eckert, 57 – and call for action to tackle gun violence.

The prayer vigil took place at 5pm at the Muhammad Ali Center plaza.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear spoke at the vigil about losing one of his close friends – Elliott – in the attack.

He said that some of his other friends survived thanks to the quick response from law enforcement.

“I’ve got two friends and more that survived because LMPD got there in about three minutes,” he said. “I want to thank you all.”

[13 April 2023 13:45 · Rachel Sharp]

WATCH: Kentucky governor describes having to call friend’s family to reveal he had been killed

[13 April 2023 14:00 · Gustaf Kilander]

Louisville shooter allegedly shot woman in back after she said ‘good morning’ to him

The Louisville bank shooter allegedly shot a woman in the back after she greeted him with the words “Good morning”.

The shooting was over in one minute, after which gunman Connor Sturgeon waited for police to arrive, at which point he was shot and killed by law enforcement.

The 25-year-old livestreamed the attack on Instagram, but the footage has since been removed.

The social media footage starts by showing the AR-15-style firearm, after which a bank worker says “Good morning” to the shooter, according to an official who outlined the events shown in the video, CNN reported.

The official said the footage shows the gunman then trying to shoot the woman who just spoke to him, but that he’s unable to because the safety is on and the firearm still needs to be loaded.

[13 April 2023 14:20 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

Kentucky governor describes having to call friend’s wife to reveal he had been killed in mass shooting

Kentucky governor Andy Beshear said he was the one to call his friend’s family to let them know about his death in a mass shooting at a bank in Louisville.

A 25-year-old gunman opened fire at the Old National Bank on Monday morning, killing five people and injuring eight others while live streaming the attack. The shooter, identified as bank employee Connor Sturgeon, entered the bank at around 8.30am armed with an AR-15-style rifle.

He went on a shooting rampage inside the first-floor conference room before exchanging gunfire with responding police officers. The gunman was eventually shot dead by the police.

Governor Beshear described he went to the bank “immediately” after learning about the mass shooting while he was in the governor’s office in Frankfort. He said the shooting took place at the bank where his friends worked and where he was a customer.

The governor was the one to call his friend Thomas “Tommy” Elliott’s wife to inform her about her husband’s death.