Officials said on Tuesday that the gunman who killed five co-workers at a Louisville bank on Monday had legally purchased the high-powered rifle used in the mass shooting less than a week ago. Interim Louisville Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel told reporters that the gunman, 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon, bought the AR-15-style weapon from an authorized seller: “We have also learned that he purchased the weapon used in this tragic incident yesterday on April 4. He purchased the weapon legally from one of the local dealerships here in Louisville.”
Louisville Rep. Morgan McGarvey also revealed that the shooter had sent disturbing text messages signaling he was considering harming himself before Monday’s shooting: “We know he left a note, we know he texted or called at least one person to let them know that he was suicidal and contemplating harm. But we don’t have the tools on the books to deal with someone who is an imminent danger to themselves or to others.”
Louisville police also made public the police body camera footage on Tuesday, showing how officers confronted Sturgeon on Monday morning at Old National Bank in downtown Louisville. Two officers, Cory Galloway and Nickolas Wilt, were shot by Sturgeon. Galloway was grazed on his left side, while Wilt was shot in the head. The 26-year-old Wilt underwent surgery Monday and was listed in critical condition; he was a recent academy graduate and on only his fourth shift when he rushed toward the bank alongside his Galloway, his field training officer. Police confirmed that Galloway was the officer who killed Sturgeon. Police Chief Gwinn-Villaroel said: “I am just truly proud of the heroic actions of those two officers. “They went toward danger in order to save and preserve life and that’s what you saw yesterday. They stopped the threat so other lives could be saved. No hesitation and they did what they were called to do.”
Among the victims were Deana Eckert, 57, was rushed to the hospital following the shooting barrage and died Monday night. Four others — Joshua Barrick, 40; Thomas Elliott, 63; Juliana Farmer, 45; and James Tutt, 64 — died earlier in the day. Jefferson County Coroner’s Office records revealed Tuesday that all five were victims of “multiple gunshot wounds” with homicide listed as the cause of death.
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