The bank employee who opened fire at his Louisville workplace targeted specific people with the rifle he bought legally a week earlier, police said Tuesday.
Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said at a news conference that bank employee Connor Sturgeon, 25, bought the AR-15 rifle on April 4 at a local store.
Armed with the rifle, Sturgeon killed five people — including a close friend of Kentucky’s governor — while livestreaming the attack Monday on Instagram, authorities said. Another eight people were wounded.
Gwinn-Villaroel also said that officers' body camera video from the shooting will be released Tuesday afternoon.
The chief said that a rookie officer who was shot in the head while responding to the mass shooting remained in critical but stable condition Tuesday morning.
"It's looking hopeful," Gwinn-Villaroel told WDRB-TV about Officer Nickolas Wilt, who had graduated from training just 10 days earlier.
She said Wilt and other officers “unflinchingly” engaged the shooter at Old National Bank and stopped him from killing more people.
Police arrived as shots were still being fired inside the building and killed the shooter, Gwinn-Villaroel said.
“The act of heroism can't be overstated on yesterday. They did what they were called to do. They answered that call to protect and serve,” she said.
Four of the injured remained hospitalized Tuesday — one in critical condition and three in stable but fair condition, University of Louisville Hospital said in a statement.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he lost one of his closest friends in the shooting.
“Tommy Elliott helped me build my law career, helped me become governor, gave me advice on being a good dad," said Beshear, his voice shaking with emotion. "He's one of the people I talked to most in the world, and very rarely were we talking about my job. He was an incredible friend.”
Also killed in the shooting were Josh Barrick, Jim Tutt, Juliana Farmer and Deana Eckert, police said.
“There are no words to adequately describe the sadness and devastation that our Old National family is experiencing as we grieve the tragic loss of our team members and pray for the recovery of all those who were injured,” Old National Bank CEO Jim Ryan said in a statement.
