6 dead, including shooter, and 8 injured after gunman opens fire in downtown Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Police say a sixth person has died after a mass shooting in Louisville.

Louisville Metro Police said that Deana Eckert, 57, died Monday night. 

Six people were killed and eight others were injured, including two police officers, when a gunman opened fire Monday morning inside a bank building in downtown Louisville.

Louisville Metro Police said officers responded to the scene around 8:30 a.m. at 333 E. Main St. — inside the Preston Pointe building near Louisville Slugger Field — on reports of a "active shooter." Police spokesman Col. Paul Humphrey said the first responding officers arrived within three minutes of the initial reports to hear the sound of gunshots still firing inside. 

The victims were identified Monday by LMPD Interim Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel as:

• Tommy Elliott, 63
• Joshua Barrick, 40
• Jim Tutt, 64
• Juliana Farmer, 45 
• Deana Eckert, 57

The shooter was identified by Gwinn-Villaroel as Connor Sturgeon, a 25-year-old employee of Old National Bank. Gwinn-Villaroel said he was armed with a rifle and was live-streaming the shooting.

He was killed by police, she said. 

"This should not continue to happen," Gwinn-Villaroel said. "Evil should not try to prevail and take over our city."

“That’s tragic to know that that incident was out there and captured,” she said.

Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, said in a statement that it had “quickly removed the livestream of this tragic incident this morning.”

Of the eight people injured and taken to University of Louisville Hospital, five are being treated for gunshot wounds. Three patients were discharged, and six remain hospitalized, two of whom are in critical condition and received "operative care," according to Dr. Jason Smith with UofL Health. Smith said both were still sedated as of 3 p.m. Monday and wouldn't elaborate on their conditions.

One of those in critical condition is LMPD Officer Nickolas Wilt, 26, who quickly went into brain surgery after he was shot in the head.

Wilt had just graduated from the police academy March 31. 

"We shouldn't hear the tears that were coming out from these families," Gwinn-Villaroel said. "And that right there sticks. They were weeping because someone decided that they wanted to take life today."

Mayor Craig Greenberg said the actions of police, who made it to the scene in minutes, "saved lives." 

"Our community will continue to come together," he said. "We will find ways to love and support one another and the families and friends who have been directly impacted by these acts of gun violence. And we will come together as a community to work to prevent these horrific acts of gun violence."

Police arrived within three minutes of the call.

Old National Bank CEO Jim Ryan released a statement late Monday that said: 

“There are no words to adequately describe the sadness and devastation that our Old National family is experiencing as we grieve the tragic loss of our team members and pray for the recovery of all those who were injured,” said Ryan in the statement.

The statement said the bank and its leadership team spent the day "offering support" to those impacted by the shooting and will continue to do so. 

"Obviously, this is an incredibly difficult situation, and our entire focus is on making sure that everyone affected has the support and assistance they need," Ryan said in the statement. “On behalf of everyone at Old National, I also want to acknowledge and thank Louisville law enforcement, the medical community and state and local officials for their incredible response to this tragedy. And finally, we ask you to please continue to pray for all those affected.”

'He was an incredible friend'

Gov. Andy Beshear fought back tears as he told told reporters during a news conference Monday afternoon that Elliott was one of his best friends. The bank’s senior vice president, Elliott was well known in local and state Democratic circles, serving as chair of former Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer’s 2011 mayoral campaign, a member of Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg’s transition team last year and chair of Gov. Andy Beshear’s 2019 inaugural committee.

"We lost four children of God today, one of whom was one of my closest friends," Beshear said. "Tommy Elliott helped me build by law career, helped me become governor (and) gave me advice on being a good dad."

Beshear said Elliott was one of the people he talked to most in the world, and very rarely were they talking about Beshear's job in Frankfort.

"He was an incredible friend," Beshear said. 

Beshear said while there is a lot of anger in the world today, he still believes that love, compassion and humanity can lead to a better place.

"There are a lot of people hurting today," he said. "And if we have a place to focus our energy, I hope it is to surround them with the love and the compassion that we have been so good at showing one another.

"We've got to do what we have always done after these last three years after everything. We've got to wrap our arms around these families. And everybody who needs it. Don't be afraid to get some help."

The suspect

Sturgeon identified himself as "Syndications Associate and Portfolio Banker" at Old National Bank, which he joined fulltime in 2021 after three consecutive summer internships from 2018-2020 while he completed a master's degree in finance at the University of Alabama.

He was recently a low-level employee of the bank, according to his LinkedIn profile and Metro police.

On Monday afternoon, police and ATF officers were spotted outside a home at the intersection of Taylor Avenue and Warren Street in Louisville's Camp Taylor neighborhood. There was yellow crime scene tape and officers appeared to be conducting an investigation.

Officers with long rifles and tactical gear arrived in an armored vehicle and entered the home. After about 10 minutes inside, evidence technicians left with several bags of evidence.

"It looks like they’re going around looking to find camera footage," said a man who lived nearby. "They told me that the guy who did the shooting lives just right over there, just a couple of houses down, which is a little frightening."

Neighbors were in disbelief Monday afternoon. Most said they didn't know Sturgeon and hadn't spoken to him, never seeing warnings signs of Monday's tragedy.

Police cleared the scene around the home around 4:30 p.m. Monday.

'Gunfire erupted'

A witness who did not want to be identified said she was driving by the intersection of Main and Preston streets Monday morning when she heard several gunshots and breaking glass.

"I had just dropped my son off at work on River Road," she said. "I was at the stoplight, and the first thing that I saw — there was a guy across the street at the intersection and he was lying down at the entrance to a hotel."

She said the person appeared to be a man and he was being tended to by someone with a walkie-talkie. She said she at first thought he was a jogger who had fallen until she noticed he was on the steps and not the sidewalk.

Then she heard the gunfire.

"As I was sitting at that intersection, gunfire erupted, like, right over my head," she said. "I didn't know if it was going at the bank or out of the bank I took off.

"When I turned, I saw that one of the windows in the bank had been blown out."

At that point, she said several law enforcement vehicles pulled up.

"They were coming from everywhere," she said. "The police were coming out of their cars with black rifles.

"I just ducked in my car and waited there."

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