Five People Were Killed In The Louisville Bank Shooting, And Other Victims Remain Hospitalised

As authorities in Louisville piece together what led up to a mass shooting inside a downtown bank that killed five people, numerous patients remain hospitalized, including a police officer in critical condition following a gunfight with the 25-year-old gunman.

The gunman, identified by authorities as employee Connor Sturgeon, was livestreaming the shooting at Old National Bank, according to officials. According to Rebecca Buchheit-Sims, a manager at the bank, he opened fire inside a conference room during a morning staff meeting.

Buchheit-Sims, who was virtually present at the conference, watched in terror as the shooting unfolded on her computer screen, saying it "happened very quickly."

"I saw people being murdered." "I don't know what else to say," she said.

Deana Eckert, 57, died later Monday, according to authorities, though it is unclear if she was one of the three patients in severe condition earlier in the day.

Police named the four additional fatalities as Joshua Barrick, 40, Juliana Farmer, 45, Tommy Elliott, 63, and James Tutt, 64, who died Monday morning.

According to a law enforcement source knowledgeable with the inquiry, had been informed for over two years that he would be sacked from his job at the bank.

According to the source, the gunman left a note for his parents and a friend stating that he intended to carry out a shooting at his employment, however it is unclear when the message was discovered.

According to authorities, the gunman, who was still firing when officers arrived, was killed in a confrontation with officers. During the gunfire, at least two officers were injured, including one who was shot in the head.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, Monday's tragedy was the 146th mass shooting this year, as such tragedies continue to strike at the hearts of American communities as they go about their daily lives. It also comes exactly two weeks after three children and three adults were killed in a massacre at a Christian school in neighbouring Tennessee, igniting a bitter debate over gun legislation between Democratic and Republican state politicians.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has ordered that flags be flown at half-staff until Friday evening in remembrance of the dead, but several Democratic politicians are concerned that the outpourings of grief may fade without significant answers to gun violence.

"My concern is that everyone will raise their fists in anger and mourn, and then we'll go back to doing the same thing—nothing," state Sen. David Yates told on Monday. "I hope they don't all die in vain, like so many other victims of these mass shootings." Maybe something good can come out of it."

President Joe Biden also reiterated his plea for gun reform legislation and urged Republican senators to act.

"Too many Americans are paying with their lives for inaction." In a tweet, the president said, "When will Republicans in Congress act to protect our communities?"

According to the company's Facebook page, members of the Old National Bank leadership team, including CEO Jim Ryan, were in Louisville Monday following the incident.

"While we await additional information, we are deploying employee assistance support and keeping everyone affected by this tragedy in our thoughts and prayers," Ryan said in a statement that morning.

According to authorities, the gunfire began at 8:30 a.m., around 30 minutes before the bank opens to the public. The attacker began fire on bank employees during their morning meeting in a conference room, according to Buchheit-Sims, the bank manager.

Caleb Goodlett, her husband, told that one bank employee hurriedly phoned her husband while she was hiding behind a closed vault. He claims that by the time he dialled 911, the police were already aware of the incident.

"It was just a very traumatic phone call," Goodlett said, adding that he has since seen his wife and she is well.

According to officials, the gunman died at the site after being shot by police following an exchange of gunfire.

Interim Louisville Metro Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said that Nickolas Wilt, a 26-year-old rookie officer, went towards the gunfire and was shot in the head. He had recently graduated from the police academy 10 days before to the shooting.

Wilt had brain surgery and was in critical but stable condition as of Monday afternoon, according to the chief.

A federal law enforcement source told that the gun used in the attack was an AR-15-style rifle. According to the 2021 National Firearms Survey, the semi-automatic rifle is the most popular sports weapon in the United States, with 30% of gun owners owning an AR-15 or similar-style rifle. The AR-15 and its variants have been used in many of the most heinous mass shootings in recent memory, including the Covenant School shooting in Nashville just two weeks ago.

The bank lies on the outside of Louisville's burgeoning downtown business center, according to state Sen. Gerald Neal, who represents the district where the incident occurred. "You wouldn't expect anything to happen here," he explained.

Despite the horror of the shooting in Kentucky's largest city, Neal believes gun control conversations in the state will remain a "uphill battle."

"This is not a state that welcomes those who consider gun reform... or gun control in some form, or even reasonable, as you might consider, gun steps that we could take in terms of restricting them." This is not the case. Nonetheless, the endeavour continues."

One of the shooting fatalities, bank senior vice president Tommy Elliot, was recalled as a close mentor and valued community leader by multiple local and state politicians.

"Tommy was a wonderful man." He was concerned with discovering good individuals and putting them in positions to achieve big things. "He embraced me when I was very young and interested in politics," Yates said. "He was all about lifting people up and constructing them."

Elliot was also friends with Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, who claimed he spent Monday morning at the hospital with Elliot's wife.

"It's painful—painful for all of the families I know," Greenberg told. "When you know one of the victims so well, it just hits home in a different way."

Beshear remembered Elliott as a "incredible friend," and he also described the other victims as "amazing people" who will be forgotten and lamented by their communities.

Greenberg stated that the city is establishing a family help facility in partnership with the American Red Cross to provide assistance to families affected.

"Our entire city is here to wrap our arms around you, survivors and families," Greenberg added