- The gunman who opened fire at a morning conference at the Old National Bank has been identified as Connor Sturgeon, 25, a bank employee
- A motive for the mass shooting, in which he allegedly killed four others and injured nine, remains unclear
- Sturgeon was also killed in the shooting, though it is unclear whether he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound or by police at the scene
The gunman who opened fire during a morning conference at the Old National Bank in downtown Louisville, Kentucky livestreamed the attack that killed four on his Instagram and left a note to his parents telling them he was going to shoot up the bank.
Authorities say Connor Sturgeon, 25, started shooting up the bank with an AR-15 style assault rifle at around at 8.30am on Monday after being fired from his position as a syndications associate and portfolio banker.
Images shared on social media show that he had posted on his Instagram story a series of memes — including one of Kylo Ren from Star Wars saying ‘I know what I have to do but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it’ and another reading: ‘They won’t listen to words or protests. Let’s see if they hear this.’
During the shooting, it was overheard on police scanners that Sturgeon was ‘suicidal and texted a friend that he would “shoot up the bank.”‘ Police also confirmed that Sturgeon livestreamed the shooting on his Instagram, which has since been taken down and is now in police custody.
The victims have also been identified as Joshua Barrick, 40; Thomas Elliott, 63; Juliana Farmer, 45; and James Tutt, 64.
Elliott was a major Democratic donor, whom Gov. Andy Beshear. And police officer Nicholas Wilt, 26, is now in critical condition after being shot in the head.
The gunman was also killed in the shooting, but it is unclear if he died from a self-inflicted wound or from injuries he sustained as he exchanged gunfire with officers at the scene.
Connor listed ‘he/him’ pronouns on his LinkedIn profile and recently praised the bank’s leadership program, writing he ‘can’t recommend this program enough.
‘The opportunity to work with great folks in several areas to see where I fit was immensely beneficial,’ he said.
He had previously worked at the bank ‘for three consecutive summers’ while he was in college at the University of Alabama.
In 2022, he posted about taking part in the Focus Louisville program, saying it was an ‘eye-opening experience about many of the issues around Louisville and the people who are working to solve them.
‘One of the biggest takeaways was the volume of people whoa re working to have a positive impact, at places like Junior Achievement, Goodwill and JCTC,’ he wrote. ‘I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn, and for meeting so many great people as both speakers and classmates.’
He went on to earn a Master’s in Finance from the University of Alabama, which the university later confirmed, and hosted his own basketball podcast.
A 2018 college essay posted to the website Course Hero by a user identified as University of Alabama student Connor Sturgeon, however, says the author had trouble fitting in at school.
‘My self-esteem has long been a problem for me,’ he wrote. ‘As a late bloomer, in middle and high school, I struggled to a certain extent to fit in, and this has given me a somewhat negative self-esteem image that persists today.
‘Making friends has never been especially easy, so I have more experience than most in operating alone.’
The author continued to say that in college he had ‘begun to mature socially and am beginning to see improvement in this area’ and that he hoped to be ‘more self-aware and start becoming a “better” person.’
Sturgeon had no previous criminal history, and his mother and brother were said to have approached police at the scene outside the bank to confirm Connor’s identity.
