Louisville gunman Connor Sturgeon’s family speak out about his ‘senseless acts of violence’

The family of the Louisville mass shooter has broken their silence to condemn his ‘senseless acts of violence’ – and revealed he had mental health problems.

Connor Sturgeon, 25, was seen entering the bank on East Main Street in Louisville at 8.33am armed with a legally-purchased AR-15 before opening fire and killing five senior executives and injuring eight others.

Over the course of six minutes, police were seen driving up to the building and charging down the doors – as gunshots rang out into the streets. One officer was shot in the head in the ambush – Sturgeon was then killed.

Sturgeon’s family expressed ‘sorrow, anguish and horror’ as they reflected on the ‘unthinkable harm’ he inflicted on innocent people.

 The family of Louisville, Kentucky mass shooter Connor Sturgeon (right pictured with family) have broken their silence days after the twisted gunman opened fire at the Old National Bank killing five and injuring eight others

A release from the family stated: ‘No words can express our sorrow, anguish, and horror at the unthinkable harm our son Connor inflicted on innocent people, their families, and the entire Louisville community.’

‘We mourn their loss and that of our son, Connor. We pray for everyone traumatized by his senseless acts of violence and are deeply grateful for the bravery and heroism of the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department. 

‘While Connor, like many of his contemporaries, had mental health challenges which we, as a family, were actively addressing, there were never any warning signs or indications he was capable of this shocking act. 

‘While we have many unanswered questions, we will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement officials and do all we can to aid everyone in understanding why and how this happened.’

More to come. 

How Louisville bank massacre unfolded: Connor Sturgeon, 25, shot fleeing woman at the entrance, then opened fire in conference room before returning to lobby for doomed battle with cops

The Louisville massacre has continued to grip the nation in the 24 hours since the crazed gunman burst into the bank he worked at and shot dead five colleagues.

But the horrific attack, which also left eight people injured, boiled down to just 12 minutes of terror – where Connor Sturgeon sought out co-workers and gunned them down at their desks.

Cops released police bodycam footage on Tuesday night, capturing the harrowing moments they cornered the sick shooter before finally neutralizing him in a dramatic gun battle in the lobby of the building.

It also featured the 25-year-old shooting a rookie officer – who’d been on the job for just ten days – in the head as his partner screamed out in horror and ducked for cover.

Sturgeon was said to be hellbent on butchering as many co-workers as he could during the bloodcurdling attack, with Louisville cops saying on Tuesday night many more would have died if it wasn’t for the bravery of their officers.

Here,

breaks down the vile massacre, from the moment the two brave policeman pulled up to the bank until when one of them was left standing over the shooter’s dead body as his colleagues raced to save his partner’s life.

Connor Sturgeon, 25, was identified as the lone gunman in an attack at the Old National Bank Monday morning that killed five people and injured eight others

Sturgeon is pictured in surveillance footage, casually dressed while holding an AR-15-style rifle

Sturgeon began working as a commercial development professional at the bank in June 2021, after three summer internships between 2018-2020. 

In under a year, he had been promoted, and as of April 2022 his job title was ‘syndications associate and portfolio banker’.

That same year he left his parents’ home in Greenville, Indiana and moved to Louisville.

But somewhere along the line his bosses lost confidence, and Sturgeon was to lose his job. It remains unclear when the decision was taken; when Sturgeon was formally informed – if indeed he was – and why he was being fired.

The decision, however, was to set in motion a catastrophic chain of events.

A second key moment came on April 4, when Sturgeon legally purchased an AR-15-style weapon from a local dealer. The sale was confirmed by police Lt. Col. Aaron Crowell.

Kentucky is one of 26 states that do not require any form of firearms permit for eligible adults. 

And, aside from federal laws that prohibit gun purchases by people with convicted felonies, there are no Kentucky laws that prohibit gun purchases to state residents who have mental health disorders, violent misdemeanor convictions, domestic abuse-related restraining orders, or anyone with substance abuse disorders. 

Even if there were, reports suggest that Sturgeon – a high school athletics star, and graduate in finance from the University of Alabama – would not have raised any warning flags. 

Connor Sturgeon (far right) is pictured with his parents Todd and Linda, and his younger brother Cameron, a professional model. He sent his family and ‘I love you’ text just minutes before the shooting 

Sturgeon had lived in this modest two-bedroom home in Louisville for about a year before Monday’s shooting

Connor Sturgeon’s roommate Dallas Whalen, 24, (right) has been cooperating fully with the police investigation, his lawyer told DailyMail.com

In the six days between buying the gun and carrying out the attack, Sturgeon thought carefully about what he was going to do.

On the morning of Monday’s attack, he left a suicide note for his parents.

He also reportedly texted a friend, saying that he would ‘shoot up the bank.’ 

He was ready with memes to post on Instagram, including one that said: ‘They won’t listen to words or protests. Let’s see if they hear this.’

And he had his Instagram Live ready, to live-stream the attack.

His roommate, Dallas Whalen, 24, had no idea of Sturgeon’s intentions, however.

Whalen and Sturgeon met when they both attended the University of Alabama.

Whalen has been cooperating fully with the police investigation, his lawyer told DailyMail.com.

‘It was as unknown and surprising to Dallas as everybody,’ the lawyer said.

‘The family is still working with law enforcement. They don’t know much.

‘We were told by police that there are letters and things. We do not have them. We have not seen them, so we’re still trying to put that together too.’

Neighbors said the pair were unassuming and did not cause problems. 

‘Can’t say nothing really bad about the guy,’ said one neighbor, Kera Allgeier. 

‘Very quiet, soft-spoken. They invited us over a couple of times for cookouts during summer, you know, very friendly. I just don’t understand.’ 

Allgeier’s husband Michael said that he saw Sturgeon coming into the house with his girlfriend, and agreed that Sturgeon seemed very ordinary.

He ‘seemed like a real normal dude – every day he’d wave to me,’ he told The Daily Beast.

‘And he would go his way, and I would go mine.

‘Quiet guy. You’d see him and his girlfriend carrying groceries into the house, just seemed like a regular dude.’

His girlfriend has not been named.

Officers were seen entering the home on Monday afternoon and leaving with what appeared to be a computer, and boxes of material.

Sturgeon had walked into the bank at 8:33am on Monday morning, having reportedly texted his family saying: ‘I love you.’ 

A city official with knowledge of the investigation described to CNN how a friendly colleague wished Sturgeon a good morning when he walked in.

Sturgeon replied: ‘You need to get out of here.’

She ran away, and he tried to shoot her in the back – but the gun was still unloaded, and the safety was on.

He clicked the weapon into action, and opened fire, shooting her in the back.

It remains unclear whether she died from the wounds.

Sturgeon, 25, is seen in action representing Floyd Central high school in Floyds Knobs, Indiana – 10 miles from downtown Louisville

At that point, officials said, Sturgeon made his way to a conference room in the back of the bank to carry out his massacre.

His victims – senior executives at the bank – were targeted, police said. 

Workers inside the building have since described how they fled from the blood-soaked scene and scrambled to the vault to hide from the killer as he rampaged through the building.

One bank employee told WHAS that they saw a man with a ‘long assault rifle’ fire multiple shots near the conference room.

‘He just started firing,’ the unnamed employee said. ‘I didn’t see his face. We were in the conference room.

Some of the financiers were in a Microsoft Teams meeting when Sturgeon burst into the room and opened fire – leaving their horrified colleagues to witness the killings. 

Rebecca Buchheit-Sims said her meeting was already in progress by the time Sturgeon entered the room.

Rebecca Buchheit-Sims was on a Microsoft Teams meeting on Monday morning when Connor Sturgeon burst in and opened fire, killing five of her colleagues

‘I’m just in shock and was in disbelief as I watched it unravel,’ she told CNN, adding it ‘happened very quickly.’

She said she did not work with Sturgeon, but knew him because his father was her son’s high school basketball coach — and her husband was an assistant coach.

The bank manager described Sturgeon as someone with ‘just kind of a monotone personality.’

‘His temperament is pretty low-key. I’ve never seen the kid get angry or upset about anything in public,’ she said. ‘He was pretty much just relaxed.’

Buchheit-Sims said she was unaware of any threats or issues, but noted that Sturgeon was ‘extremely intelligent.’ 

Another colleague, Troy Haste, was in the room when Sturgeon opened fire. He survived, but was spattered in his colleagues’ blood as he left the bank.

It later emerged that Haste and Sturgeon were already acquaintances, having been pictured together in September at what appeared to be a building site where bank staff could volunteer.

Connor Sturgeon, left, is seen with Troy Haste, right, in September 2022

‘He just started firing,’ said Troy Haste, an Old National Bank employee

‘We have a break room. I got in there, shut the door for a second, and then I was looking around opening the door to see where he was at, and I could see him still shooting,’ Haste said 

A clearly shaken Haste told local news outlets of the ordeal following the shooting.

‘He just started firing. I didn’t see his face. We were in the conference room. Whoever was next to me got shot, their blood’s on me.

‘He just started shooting. He had a long assault rifle,’ Haste recounted, still shaking.

‘We have a break room. I got in there, shut the door for a second, and then I was looking around opening the door to see where he was at, and I could see him still shooting.’

The Old National Bank employee explained how the whole situation unfolded on the first floor of the building, as the group was in a meeting.

Another man with Haste said he thought the shooting was construction. 

But another person told him: ‘Run, there’s a shooter in there.’

Authorities say Sturgeon did not travel to any of the other more populated floors in the building, which also houses a real estate firm. 

Sturgeon then made his way back to the lobby, where he waited for a minute and a half for police to arrive on the scene.

The 911 call was made at 8:38am.

As the chaos unfolded, police were approached by Sturgeon’s mother Linda and his younger brother, Cameron, at the scene.

The police offer tells the dispatcher: ’25-year-old white male, Connor Sturgeon, 6′ 4′. 

‘He’s texted a friend, called a friend, left a voicemail saying he’s gonna kill everyone at the bank. Feeling suicidal.’

The officers then arrive. 

Police body camera footage, released on Tuesday afternoon, begins at 8:40am, with Officer Nickolas Wilt, 26, driving to the scene on only his 10th day on the job.

In the passenger seat is his training officer, Officer Cory ‘CJ’ Galloway.

Officer Cory ‘CJ’ Jackson (left) was training Officer Nickolas Wilt (right) on Monday, on Wilt’s 10th day in the job

Wilt is in the driving seat at 8:40am as they speed towards the bank: Galloway is the passenger

Body camera footage taken from Officer Nickolas Wilt shows his training officer, Cory ‘CJ’ Galloway, at 8:41am retrieving his rifle from the back of the patrol car. Wilt’s drawn pistol is seen at the top of the picture

Wilt drives at speed towards the scene: Galloway urges him to pull up outside the bank but, on hearing a volley of gunshots, yells at Wilt to reverse so they are protected by a wall.

‘Back up, back up, back up!’ Galloway yells, then tells Wilt: ‘Pop the trunk.’

The two officers get out the patrol car and run to the trunk. Galloway takes a long rifle: Wilt has a hand gun.

Galloway leads the way, and the pair pause behind a wall to assess the situation for a couple of seconds before Galloway at 8:41am walks up the steps.  

Sturgeon is hiding behind a mirrored door – the entrance to the bank – at the top of the steps.

Body camera footage taken from Officer Nickolas Wilt shows his training officer, Cory ‘CJ’ Galloway, advancing before him with a rifle at 8:41am. Wilt is behind, with a handgun. Sturgeon lies in wait behind a mirrored glass door

Galloway pauses briefly to radio headquarters and say they are approaching the bank

Galloway radios to headquarters: ‘We are making entry to the east side.’ 

Wilt is behind him. His camera then stops. Wilt was shot in the head, and underwent brain surgery on Monday evening. He remains in critical condition. 

Galloway’s body camera continues recording as he hears the gunshots, turns, and sees Wilt on the steps of the bank.

Galloway falls to the ground, appears to roll, then scampers down the steps behind a wall.

A bystander across the road films the attack, and Galloway’s fall is captured. 

‘God damn it!’ Galloway yells.

Sirens can be heard, indicating more emergency personnel arriving. 

‘The shooter has an angle on that officer, we need to get up there,’ Galloway says.

‘We need to get up there. I don’t know where he is, the glass is blocking him.’

Galloway tries to see where Sturgeon is, looking around a bush in an effort to get a clear line of sight. 

Another officer arrives behind Galloway. 

‘He’s shooting straight through these windows, right at the officer,’ Galloway tells him. 

Galloway says they ‘need to plate somehow, to be able to get there and pull him down off those stairs’ – an apparent reference to donning body armor. 

Soon, another barrage of gunfire can be heard. 

Galloway tries to see where Sturgeon is inside the bank, but is unable to get a clear sight of him

At 8:44am, Galloway yells: ‘I think I got him down. I think he’s down! Suspect down, get the officer.’

Louisville police have not confirmed who shot and killed Sturgeon.

Galloway immediately thinks of Wilt, who is still lying on the steps.

‘Yank him down the stairs!’ he yells to arriving police. 

At 8:45am, Galloway repeats: ‘I think he’s down.’

Galloway advances, and confirms that Sturgeon is indeed dead.

Galloway announced that the suspect was ‘down’ after a few minutes of exchanging gunfire

Galloway kept his gun drawn as he approached the suspect, lying on the ground

Louisville Metro police are pictured outside the bank Monday morning as an investigation was underway

Authorities have said they arrived on the scene within just three minutes of getting a call about an active shooter

‘Suspect down, get the officer,’ he shouts to other police. When someone yells an unintelligible question, Galloway replies: ‘I don’t know – get the officer!’

Galloway is then seen entering the building, still at 8:45am, and Sturgeon can be seen lying dead in the lobby of the bank, surrounded by shattered glass. 

The five who were killed have been named as Thomas Elliott, 63; Joshua Barrick, 40; Juliana Farmer, 45; James Tutt, 64; and Deana Eckert, 57. 

Videos posted online in the aftermath showed officers at the scene running out into the street during rush hour traffic and warning drivers to get out of their cars because there was an ‘active shooter.’

At least three gunshots could be heard in the footage. 

Photos showed blood splattered on the steps leading up to the bank, and broken glass on the ground.

The governor of Kentucky was among those mourning the dead.

Andy Beshear, a Democrat who was the state’s attorney general before becoming governor in 2019, said his friend, Tommy Elliott, was killed and another was wounded. 

Beshear said his campaign for state attorney general was run out of the building. 

‘Today I’m hurt and I’m hurting and I know so many people out there are as well,’ said Beshear. 

‘We lost four children of God today, one of whom was one of my closest friends. 

‘Tommy Elliot helped me build my law career, helped me become governor, gave me advice on being a good dad. 

‘One of the people I talk to most in the world and very rarely were we talking about my job.’

He added: ‘I know virtually everyone in it, that’s my bank.’

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news conference that one of his closest friends, Tommy Elliott, was killed in the Louisville bank shooting

Thomas Elliott, 63, one of Governor Andy Beshear’s ‘closest’ friends, died Monday morning in the mass shooting at Old National Bank in Louisville, Kentucky. Also killed was James ‘Jim’ Tutt, 64, a marketing executive at the bank

Joshua Barrick, 40, a vice president of commercial real estate at the bank, was also killed by the lone gunman, as was Juliana Farmer, 45

Deana Eckert, 57, an executive administrative officer at the bank, was declared dead on Monday evening 

The five who died have been named as Tommy Elliott, 63; Joshua Barrick, 40; James ‘Jim’ Tutt, 64; Deana Eckert, 57; and Juliana Farmer, 57.

Elliott, the bank’s senior vice president, had donated $2,000 to Beshear’s gubernatorial campaign in 2018 and had donated to many Democratic candidates over the years. 

He was well known in local and state Democratic circles and served on Beshear’s inaugural committee in 2019. 

Tutt was a commercial real estate executive for the Southern Region of Old National Bank.

Barrick, who appears to have a wife and two young children, was a senior vice president of commercial real estate arm at the bank, where he had worked since last August, according to his LinkedIn. 

Farmer – a mother and grandmother – was a loan analyst at the regional firm.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg knew Eckert personally, calling her ‘a wonderful and kind woman.’ 

She underwent multiple surgeries but did not survive her injuries, and was pronounced dead on Monday night.