(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – The gunman who opened fire at a downtown bank Monday morning, killing five people – including a close friend of the governor – was an employee who livestreamed the attack on Instagram, officials said.
At least eight other people were injured, officials said, and the suspect was also dead. Two police officers were among the injured, including recent academy graduate Nickolas Wilt, 26, who was shot in the head and was in critical condition after surgery.
Interim Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel identified the gunman as Connor Sturgeon, 25, and said he was livestreaming while shooting with a rifle. Meta, the parent company for Instagram, said it had quickly taken down the livestream.
“This was an evil act of targeted violence,” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said.
Gwinn-Villaroel said officers arrived within three minutes of receiving reports of shots fired at Old National Bank, promptly engaged the assailant and killed him.
“The suspect shot at officers,” she said. “We then returned fire and stopped that threat.”
Of the nine people hospitalized, three were in critical condition, three had non-life-threatening injuries and three were discharged, according to Dr. Jason Smith, chief medical officer at the University of Louisville Hospital.
“This is awful,” an emotional Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said at a news conference, adding that another friend was hospitalized after the attack.
