Louisville gunman carried out bank shooting in one minute before waiting to ambush police
The gunman had the safety on and his weapon was unloaded when he attempted to start shooting
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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.
The gunman then fires at other members of staff, who attempt to flee. The shooter didn’t move to other floors of the bank where workers were present.
After a minute of shooting, the gunman sits down in the lobby of the building, in an area facing the street, seemingly waiting for law enforcement to arrive.
About 90 seconds later, the police arrive at the scene, gunfire is exchanged and the shooter is shot and killed.
Sturgeon had been an intern at the bank for three summers and then been a full-time staffer for around two years, according to his LinkedIn profile.
While a law enforcement official told CNN that Sturgeon had been made aware that he was set to be fired from the bank, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said that wasn’t the case.
“From what I have been told from an official at the bank, that is not accurate,” the mayor said on Tuesday.
Louisville police released body cam footage from the shooting on Tuesday. The footage starts with a video from 26-year-old officer Nicholas Wilt, who had graduated from the police academy only ten days before the shooting.
He arrived at the scene in a vehicle with his training officer Cory “CJ” Galloway.
Police said Officer Wilt was shot in the head as he ran towards the gunshots coming from Sturgeon. The footage from Officer Wilt that was made public ends before he was struck.
The body cam footage from Officer Galloway shows him also coming under fire before he retreats to behind a planter as police discuss that they’re unable to spot the shooter and that he’s firing through windows at the front of the bank.
Officer Galloway was also shot at one point.
Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey said that the gunman broke the lobby windows, allowing police to get a view of where he was.
The body cam video shows Officer Galloway shooting Sturgeon from the bank’s front steps.
“I think I got him down! I think he’s down!” he shouts before moving towards the building and instructing his colleagues to take care of Officer Wilt.
“Suspect down. Get the officer!” he shouts.
Footage filmed by a bystander was also released by police, showing Officer Galloway taking cover, his firearm raised and aimed at the building as he attempts to find the gunman.
The ordeal, from the shooter’s first shot to when he was killed, went on for about nine minutes, Lt Col Aaron Cromwell said.
Those killed in the shooting include Joshua Barrick, 40; Juliana Farmer, 45; Deana Eckert, 57; Tommy Elliott, 63; and James Tutt, 64.
Ms Eckert was among the nine people taken to hospital on Monday before she passed away. Of the eight people who were shot but are still alive, five had been able to leave the hospital as of Tuesday.
A hospital spokesperson added that Officer Wilt has undergone brain surgery and remains in critical condition. Of the three still in hospital, the other two are listed as being in fair condition.
There have been 147 mass shootings – defined as an instance in which four or more people are shot – so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Almost 12,000 people have died because of gun violence this year in the US.