Global Courant 2023-04-12 04:05:58
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – A “suicidal” shooter bought legally the high-powered rifle used to kill five colleagues at a Louisville bank less than a week before the deadly attack, officials said Tuesday.
Connor Sturgeon, 25, bought the AR-15-style weapon from an authorized seller, interim Louisville Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel told reporters.
“We also learned that yesterday, April 4, he purchased the weapon used in this tragic incident,” she said. “He bought the gun legally from one of the local dealers here in Louisville.”
Rep. Morgan McGarvey, a Democrat representing Louisville, revealed that before Monday’s shooting, the gunman sent disturbing text messages indicating he was considering harming himself.
“We know he left a note, we know he texted or called at least one person letting them know he was suicidal and intent on harm,” McGarvey said. “But we don’t have the resources on the books to deal with someone who is an acute danger to themselves or others.”
Police on Monday declined to discuss possible motives or confirm whether the shooter had left any writings or previous red flag behavior.
Two officers, Cory Galloway and Nickolas Wilt, were shot by Sturgeon, officials said. Galloway was grazed on his left side, while Wilt was shot in the head, police said.
Wilt had just graduated from the academy and was only on his fourth shift when he rushed to the bank with his field training officer, Galloway, police said.
Galloway was the officer who killed Sturgeon, police said.
“I’m just really proud of the heroic actions of those two officers,” said Gwinn-Villaroel.
Body camera video released Tuesday by the Louisville Police Department shows the two officers approaching the bank at 8:41 a.m. Gunfire is heard and Galloway is able to tumble to the ground before taking cover behind a window box and firing back. The video does not show Wilt being shot.
Most of the video, which has been edited and blurred by police, is from Galloway’s body camera. It also included a still photo of the couch showing the shooter wearing jeans and sneakers and holding a rifle at his side.
Louisville Police Department Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey said the shooter had an elevated position behind glass doors, which gave him a tactical advantage.
“He could see out where nobody could see in,” Humphrey said.
At one point, Galloway can be heard saying that the gunman is “shooting right through these windows at the officer”.
Just before 08:45, Galloway can be heard saying he believes the gunman has been shot. Moments later, he hears screams: “get the officer.”
“You can see the tension in that video,” Humphrey said. “You understand the stress those officers are going through. The response wasn’t perfect, but it was exactly the response we needed.”
The five victims died of “multiple gunshot wounds,” with the cause of death being murder, the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office documents revealed Tuesday.
Four of the victims — Joshua Barrick, 40; Thomas Elliott, 63; Juliana Boer, 45; and James Tutt, 64 – died earlier in the day. Deana Eckert, 57, was rushed to hospital after the barrage and died Monday night.
Eckert’s time of death was listed as 6:24 p.m. and her four colleagues were pronounced dead by the coroner at 12:30 p.m., the coroner said.
Wilt, 26, was shot in the head and underwent surgery on Monday before being admitted to critical condition, officials said.
University of Louisville Health chief medical officer Jason Smith thanked the American Red Cross for helping provide the 170 units of blood his hospital had used to treat the victims.
Despite Monday’s beating, Smith said, it was not uncommon for many gunshot victims to be treated at the same time.
Mayor Craig Greenberg said 40 people have already died from gunshot wounds in Louisville this year.
Some of the police officers respond to the Old National Bank on Monday had to peel off for another fatal shooting just blocks away at Jefferson Community and Technical College.
“I’m tired,” Smith said. “There’s only so many times you can walk into a room and say to someone, ‘They’re not coming home tomorrow.’ And it just breaks your heart when you hear someone yell ‘Mommy’ or ‘Dad’. It just gets too hard, day in and day out, to be able to do that.”
Maggie Vespa reported from Louisville and David K. Li from New York City.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME at 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
