Gun violence
Five people tragically lost their lives when an employee opened fire at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, and livestreamed the attack on Instagram. The victims, aged between 40 and 64, were identified as Thomas Elliot, 63; James Tutt, 64; Joshua Barrick, 40; Julianna Farmer, 45; and Deana Eckert, 57. Louisville Metro officer Nickolas Wilt, 26, was among nine others injured in the attack and is still critical after brain surgery.
Police responded within three minutes to the shooting at the Old National Bank in the city centre at about 08:30 local time (12:30 GMT) and fatally shot the attacker in an exchange of gunfire. Caleb Goodlett told local media his wife, an employee at the bank, locked herself inside the vault when the attack began. Other witnesses described seeing the shootout between police officers and the lone attacker. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said an “incredible friend” of his, Tommy Elliot, a senior vice-president at the bank, was among the victims.
The suspect was named as 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon, who police said used an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle during the incident and was broadcasting the shooting online. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg called the attack “an evil act of targeted violence”. He himself was the victim of a recent gun attack last year when a mentally disturbed man burst into his campaign office and opened fire.
Instagram’s owner Meta said it had “quickly removed the livestream of this tragic incident this morning”. The attacker is described in an online profile as being a syndications associate and portfolio banker at Old National Bank. He had joined the company as a full-time employee last year after spending three summers as an intern there. Officials say he had no previous contact with law enforcement and had recently been told by the bank that he was going to be fired.
Data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive shows that there have been at least 146 mass shootings – defined as those in which at least four people were shot – so far in 2023, including at least 15 since April began. President Joe Biden demanded Congress pass gun control measures as he tweeted on Monday: “Too many Americans are paying for the price of inaction with their lives.” Kentucky is one of 26 states that allow most adults over 21 years old to purchase and carry a firearm without a licence.
The tragic shooting in Louisville has once again highlighted the need for stricter gun control laws in the US. Five innocent people lost their lives in this senseless attack, and nine others were injured, including a rookie police officer who had graduated to the force just two weeks ago. The victims have all been identified, and the attacker was named as 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon.
Instagram’s owner Meta quickly removed the livestream of this tragic incident, but it is clear that more needs to be done to prevent such attacks from occurring in the future. Data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive shows that there have been at least 146 mass shootings so far in 2023 alone, and President Joe Biden has called on Congress to pass gun control measures. Kentucky is one of 26 states that allow most adults over 21 years old to purchase and carry a firearm without a licence, and this incident has highlighted the need for stricter gun laws across all states in America.