The Louisville shooter had told a female colleague to ‘get out of here’ as he entered the Old National Bank Monday morning — before firing at the woman as she fled and livestreaming his massacre.
Authorities have said that Connor Sturgeon, 25, legally purchased an AR-15 on April 4 from a local dealer and could be seen wielding the weapon in his livestream on Instagram as he entered his former workplace at around 8.30am on Monday.
Though the livestream of the attack at Old National Bank has not been released to the public, a city official with knowledge of the investigation described to CNN how Sturgeon told a woman near the entrance to run before trying to shoot her. But the gun was unloaded and the safety was still on at the time.
Quickly realizing his mistake, Sturgeon is then said to have loaded ammunition into the assault rifle and took off the safety. He then aimed at her again, and shot the woman in the back. It is unclear if she survived.
The livestreamed footage of the attack is said to be in police custody as they continue their investigation into the massacre.
But the unnamed city official who viewed the footage said it shows a friendly colleague wishing Sturgeon a good morning as he entered the Old National Bank with his AR-15.
Connor Sturgeon, 25, opened fire at the Old National Bank using an AR-15 he bought legally the week before
Members of the Louisville Fire Department are seen cleaning the steps of the Old National Bank following the shooting on Monday
‘You need to get out of here,’ the gunman reportedly tells the woman — before trying to shoot her in the back as she fled.
The attempt, though, failed because the weapon was still unloaded at the time with its safety on.
Once Sturgeon took the safety off and loaded the gun, the official said, he tried again and shot the staff member in the back. It is unclear if the woman survived.
The shooter then allegedly proceeded to spray fire inside the bank as frantic employees tried to to outrun him.
He did not travel to any of the other more populated floors in the building, which also houses a real estate firm, during the targeted attack.
After just about one minute, the official said, the gunman sat in the lobby of the bank and waited for police to arrive on the scene.
They arrived soon after, and started exchanging gunfire with Sturgeon, who died at the scene. It remains unclear whether he was killed by a self-inflicted shot or from officers at the bank.
Police-worn body camera footage of the incident is expected to be released Tuesday afternoon.
Also killed in the massacre were Thomas Elliott, 63, Joshua Barrick, 40, Juliana Farmer, 45, James Tutt, 64, and Deana Eckert, 57.
A total of eight people were injured, including rookie cop Nicholas Wilt, 26, who remains in critical condition after being shot in the head.
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
Joshua Barrick, 40, a vice president of commercial real estate at the bank, was also killed by the lone gunman
Deana Eckert, 57, an executive administrative officer at the bank, was declared dead on Monday evening
Louisville Metro police responded to the scene within three minutes of Sturgeon opening fire
Multiple bullet holes could be seen through the windows of the bank Monday night
Glass was strewn across the ground outside the bank following the massacre
Authorities have said that Sturgeon, who was recently fired from the bank, stormed into a conference room with the AR-15 shortly after 8.30am – around half an hour before the branch opened to the public.
He was suicidal, friends said.
Officers arrived within three minutes and found the shooter still firing, Louisville Metro Police Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey said.
Videos posted online also 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.
Sturgeon, left , pictured with his mom, dad and younger brother, did not have a prior criminal history
A man is pictured on Tuesday leaving a bouquet of flowers on the steps outside the bank
One mourner also left a bouquet of white roses with a note at the bank
Workers inside the building have 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.
‘Whoever was next to me got shot, their blood’s on me,’ he added.
Another witness said they heard multiple gunshots as well as breaking glass coming from the bank after she dropped her son off at his job.
‘I had just dropped my son off at work on River Road,’ the unnamed witness told WDRB.
‘I was at the stop light, and the first thing that I saw — there was a guy across the street of the intersection and he was lying down at the entrance to a hotel.’
At first, she said, she thought the man was just out for a jog — but then she noticed he was on the steps and not the sidewalk.
That is when she said she heard gunfire, with video from the scene showing at least three shots were fired.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg is pictured at a news conference on Tuesday, when officials announced that Sturgeon legally purchased the weapon. He is now calling for further gun control measures
Members of the Louisville Police Department talk on the steps of the Old National Bank during an investigation following the shooting
Some mourners left rose petals in the shape of a heart at the entrance to the bank
Authorities announced on Tuesday that Sturgeon bought the gun he used in the attack legally just one week before.
‘As I was sititng 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.’
The morning of the shooting, he also posted a series of ominous Instagram post including one that said: ‘They won’t listen to words or protests. Let’s see if they hear this.’
Sturgeon had no previous criminal history, and his mother Lisa and younger brother Cameron were said to have approached police at the scene outside the bank to confirm his identity.
