KY - Multiple casualties in active shooter situation at Old National Bank in Louisville, Apr 2023 *suspect dead*

[Jinkasaurus]

Adding up what we know so far about this loser:

- early 20's
- Caucasian male
- very tall
- history of athletic participation
- high level of education (Master's Degree)
- moved out of parents home in 2022
- lived with male roommate for almost a year without apparent issue
- superficially friendly to neighbors, but also invited them to cookouts, so a bit friendlier than just waving
- parents report some sort of mental health issue
- neighbors report possible girlfriend
- neither family or roommate knew he purchased a rifle a week prior to shooting
- was employed but status of employment at time of shooting is unknown
- streamed live on Instagram

Unless this person expressed any leakage about his plan in days/weeks/months before this (which so far it doesn't sound like he has- but I hope they reveal his internet information in terms of posts, accounts, etc), this is the type that we here in the US have to fear most: a common pattern of young adult, some sort of known mental issues, a possible stressor (job loss), and then they access weapons without anyone knowing.

 

[fred&edna]

dbm

 

[vls12345]

Louisville bank shooting survivor recalls harrowing experience as police release 911 calls

Old National Bank employee Dana Mitchell told CBS News she was shocked that her co-worker, who at one point she mentored, could carry out such a horrific attack.

www.cbsnews.com

According to this article, he had not been fired from his job, nor was firing him planned.

[snip]

"I knew Connor very well," she said. "I was his mentor his first year at the bank. He never made me feel like he would have done this. Not in a million years. He was very kind and soft-spoken. You would never had thought this would have happened."

Mitchell recalled seeing him enter the bank with a gun and begin shooting.

"When I saw him in the hallway with the gun I thought, why would he bring that here to show us? It didn't even register to me he was ready to shoot," she said. "Everybody there but one person was in a conference room for a meeting."

[snip]

Mitchell said reports that Sturgeon had been fired from the bank were not true.

"He was not terminated, he was still an employee," she said. "I don't know where the rumor came from."

[snip]

 

[avalonisland]

Sometimes criminals are just plain criminals. Lawlessness doesn't equal mental illness, though it seems to be a scapegoat for TV pundits and journalists. I see the family has said he had "mental health challenges." Without knowing what that means, I'm still not going to call him mentally ill unless we learn more. The research tells us that the majority of mass shooters actually aren't mentally ill, even though they're labeled as such because people don't know any other way to explain them behaving oddly prior to the shootings. Mental illness is defined as having a diagnosable pathology. The only way it's connected to mass shootings is if that pathology caused them to carry out the shootings. Even people who have, say, depression or anxiety can become mass shooters due to their criminal tendencies without it being blamed on mental illness.k

Oh I get why some people may want to kill others that they feel have wronged them; "take them out." But why do they want to vide it, why do they want people to see it? To me, it ultimately shows that they themselves are the horrible person, not the person they are sh

Adding up what we know so far about this loser:

- early 20's
- Caucasian male
- very tall
- history of athletic participation
- high level of education (Master's Degree)
- moved out of parents home in 2022
- lived with male roommate for almost a year without apparent issue
- superficially friendly to neighbors, but also invited them to cookouts, so a bit friendlier than just waving
- parents report some sort of mental health issue
- neighbors report possible girlfriend
- neither family or roommate knew he purchased a rifle a week prior to shooting
- was employed but status of employment at time of shooting is unknown
- streamed live on Instagram

Unless this person expressed any leakage about his plan in days/weeks/months before this (which so far it doesn't sound like he has- but I hope they reveal his internet information in terms of posts, accounts, etc), this is the type that we here in the US have to fear most: a common pattern of young adult, some sort of known mental issues, a possible stressor (job loss), and then they access weapons without anyone knowing.

The roommate called Sturgeon's Mommy but did roommate call 911 first or the Mommy? Sturgeon really wasn't suicidal or he would have killed himself first. He appeared to me to feel so much rage to kill his co-workers who were about to can him and then waited like 1 1/2 minutes for police to show up and shoot him. I don't think depression or anxiety had anything to do with killings nor being a video gamer. I think Sturgeon probably had so much rage insde of him and maybe he was taught by his parents to be perfect and that failing is not an option...It appears Sturgeon did not know how to process the upcoming or recent termination of employment. If he was fired, why was he greeted at the bank door and allowed to enter prior to bank being open to public which makes me believe that he was still employed by bank. Sturgeon is an empty vessel. I wish he had committed suicide instead of killing 5 humans and injuring 9 more.

 

[avalonisland]

Louisville bank shooting survivor recalls harrowing experience as police release 911 calls

Old National Bank employee Dana Mitchell told CBS News she was shocked that her co-worker, who at one point she mentored, could carry out such a horrific attack.

www.cbsnews.com

According to this article, he had not been fired from his job, nor was firing him planned.

It would be interesting to find out why he purchased a gun a week ago (like what happened that triggered his first gun purchase) and why his Mom assumed that maybe his girlfriend owned a gun. My guess is he planned the killings long before April 2023...maybe fantasized about killing a human.

 

[airportwoman]

There is the tragic phenomenon of "suicide by cop."

 

[WingsOverTX]

Boston University study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in July 2017:
CTE was found in 99 percent of the brains obtained from National Football League players, 91 percent of college football players and and 21 percent of high school football players. The brain disease can only be diagnosed after death with an examination of the brain.

Brain disease affecting pro football players appears to be rare in the military, study suggests

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, linked to contact sports like football and boxing, is "uncommon" in the brains of deceased service members, according to a new study.

www.militarytimes.com

Not indicating this mitigates any actions by this shooter but sticks out as a very high incidence rate of CTE in this age group, if true.
BBM & MOO

 

[YepperBepper]

2 thoughts. Dad retired recently to spend more time with his kids (2020?), Per links posted in this thread. Perhaps that may be due to issues presenting in his son?

This kid is prime age for presentation of schizophrenia.

Imho

 

[Lilibet]

2 thoughts. Dad retired recently to spend more time with his kids (2020?), Per links posted in this thread. Perhaps that may be due to issues presenting in his son?

This kid is prime age for presentation of schizophrenia.

Imho

I thought of schizophrenia too. My cousin developed it in his mid-20’s as did a classmate of my daughter’s. I don’t think schizophrenia necessarily results in violence. It depends on how it affects the individual. But if you’re hearing voices telling you that you have no choice but to kill everyone…I’m thinking of Kip Kinkel who at 15 murdered his parents and killed two and injured 25 at Thurston High School in Springfield OR. He begged to be killed, and is now horrified by what he did in 1998.

We just don’t know what was going on with Sturgeon yet and we may never know. Somehow, I don’t think he was a cold-blooded killer.
JMO

Mental Illness Set Kip Kinkel's Case Apart From Others Like It | The Seattle Times

archive.seattletimes.com

Kip Kinkel Is Ready To Speak

At 15, he shot and killed his parents, two classmates at his school, and wounded 25 others. He’s been used as the reason to lock kids up for life ever since.

www.huffpost.com

 

[IceIce9]

I thought of schizophrenia too. My cousin developed it in his mid-20’s as did a classmate of my daughter’s. I don’t think schizophrenia necessarily results in violence. It depends on how it affects the individual. But if you’re hearing voices telling you that you have no choice but to kill everyone…I’m thinking of Kip Kinkel who at 15 murdered his parents and killed two and injured 25 at Thurston High School in Springfield OR. He begged to be killed, and is now horrified by what he did in 1998.

We just don’t know what was going on with Sturgeon yet and we may never know. Somehow, I don’t think he was a cold-blooded killer.
JMO

Mental Illness Set Kip Kinkel's Case Apart From Others Like It | The Seattle Times

archive.seattletimes.com

Kip Kinkel Is Ready To Speak

At 15, he shot and killed his parents, two classmates at his school, and wounded 25 others. He’s been used as the reason to lock kids up for life ever since.

www.huffpost.com

From the article:

“It was a mean-spirited decision,” Kinkel said during a phone call the next day. “It’s soul crushing. I don’t know how else to describe it. Those justices … basically just told us to go die. That our lives don’t matter. That our existences don’t have any meaning. That our future should only be torment, pain, suffering and misery.”

JMO but the lives of the innocent people he murdered had meaning, and their lives mattered. Those who were injured but survived will have lifelong suffering from the trauma, and the families of the victims will never be the same. JMO

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I thought of schizophrenia too. My cousin developed it in his mid-20’s as did a classmate of my daughter’s. I don’t think schizophrenia necessarily results in violence. It depends on how it affects the individual. But if you’re hearing voices telling you that you have no choice but to kill everyone…I’m thinking of Kip Kinkel who at 15 murdered his parents and killed two and injured 25 at Thurston High School in Springfield OR. He begged to be killed, and is now horrified by what he did in 1998.

We just don’t know what was going on with Sturgeon yet and we may never know. Somehow, I don’t think he was a cold-blooded killer.
JMO

Mental Illness Set Kip Kinkel's Case Apart From Others Like It | The Seattle Times

archive.seattletimes.com

Kip Kinkel Is Ready To Speak

At 15, he shot and killed his parents, two classmates at his school, and wounded 25 others. He’s been used as the reason to lock kids up for life ever since.

www.huffpost.com

Pretty amazing statistic.......

Kinkel is one of about 10,000 people nationwide serving life or life-equivalent sentences for crimes they committed before they turned 18, when their brains were not yet fully developed. The U.S. is the only country that allows juveniles to be sentenced to life without parole.

The article is so well done. So heavy and hard to read, but still so well done.

 

[Lilibet]

From the article:

“It was a mean-spirited decision,” Kinkel said during a phone call the next day. “It’s soul crushing. I don’t know how else to describe it. Those justices … basically just told us to go die. That our lives don’t matter. That our existences don’t have any meaning. That our future should only be torment, pain, suffering and misery.”

JMO but the lives of the innocent people he murdered had meaning, and their lives mattered. Those who were injured but survived will have lifelong suffering from the trauma, and the families of the victims will never be the same. JMO

I appreciate your comment @IceIce9. I don’t want to derail the thread by talking about Kip Kinkel, except to say that I absolutely agree with you that the victims matter more than their attackers. My reason for mentioning Kinkel was solely in regard to the OP’s mention of schizophrenia. My point was about how it can affect someone (the voices told him to kill) and that not all who carry out a mass shooting are cold-blooded killers. There is a great deal of context in the entire article that makes clear that the statement by Kinkel you quoted is not as self-pitying as it sounds. And I’ll just leave it at that and return to discussing the current shooting by Sturgeon.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I don’t want to derail the thread by talking about Kip Kinkel, except to say that I absolutely agree with you that the victims matter more than their attackers. My reason for mentioning Kinkel was solely in regard to the OP’s mention of schizophrenia. My point was about how it can affect someone (the voices told him to kill) and that not all who carry out a mass shooting are cold-blooded killers. There is a great deal of context in the entire article that makes clear that the statement by Kinkel you quoted is not as self-pitying as it sounds. And I’ll just leave it at that and return to discussing the current shooting by Sturgeon.

Thanks though, for posting the informative article. It made me feel that if more of these murderers did not die at the scene, we would have more to learn... only to learn more about what does possess people to do such horrible harm to other human beings.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

"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," according to a statement sent to WDRB News by the family.

"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."

Sturgeon was in treatment working with a psychiatrist and a counselor for anxiety and depression issues, according to the family.

"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," according to his family. "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."

Minutes before he opened fire, Sturgeon sent a text message to family members saying "I love you," an attorney for the family said.

Sturgeon's roommate had no idea he had bought a weapon and didn't know anything was amiss until he got a text from him Monday morning that he was suicidal. The roommate called Sturgeon's mother, who called 911.

Family members drove to the bank hoping to find him but "by the time they get there, it was too late," the attorney said.

Family of Louisville shooter said he had 'mental health challenges' but 'no warning signs' of 'shocking' mass shooting

"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," according to his

www.wdrb.com

 

[Lilibet]

Thanks though, for posting the informative article. It made me feel that if more of these murderers did not die at the scene, we would have more to learn... only to learn more about what does possess people to do such horrible harm to other human beings.

Thanks for your thoughts @nhmemorymaker. It is a heart-wrenching article with a lot of food for thought whenever we are discussing mass killings by young people, even Sturgeon’s age. Would that we could understand why!

 

[Lilibet]

"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," according to a statement sent to WDRB News by the family.

"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."

Sturgeon was in treatment working with a psychiatrist and a counselor for anxiety and depression issues, according to the family.

"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," according to his family. "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."

Minutes before he opened fire, Sturgeon sent a text message to family members saying "I love you," an attorney for the family said.

Sturgeon's roommate had no idea he had bought a weapon and didn't know anything was amiss until he got a text from him Monday morning that he was suicidal. The roommate called Sturgeon's mother, who called 911.

Family members drove to the bank hoping to find him but "by the time they get there, it was too late," the attorney said.

Family of Louisville shooter said he had 'mental health challenges' but 'no warning signs' of 'shocking' mass shooting

"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," according to his

www.wdrb.com

I’m heartbroken for his family in addition to all the other victims and families. I suspect there was more to this than depression and anxiety that Sturgeon may not have revealed yet to his psychiatrist. The stigma of severe mental illness symptoms can cast a large shadow over a career and make it hard to admit it to oneself or a physician. All just JMO about a possibility, but not an excuse of course.

 

[WingsOverTX]

I'm beginning to question the narrative that CS was in threat of job loss. What proof do we have?

What I've read seems to indicate 1) his long-time mentor at the bank knew nothing of any performance or other problems, 2) she says he was a current, not former employee, & 3) CS chose a time when almost all employees were in a single room together for this attack, something he very likely had foreknowledge of.

She survived.

Louisville bank gunman Connor Sturgeon shot former mentor — who played dead to survive

Louisville bank shooter Connor Sturgeon shot his former mentor during the senseless rampage, with the woman describing in haunting detail how she played dead to survive.

nypost.com

Remembering those who just went to work that day never to return home:
Killed in the rampage were Tommy Elliott, 63, a senior vice president; Jim Tutt, 64, a market executive; Joshua Barrick, 40, another senior vice president; Juliana Farmer, 45, a commercial loan specialist; and Deana Eckert, 57, an executive administrative officer.

This case like so many others deserves a definitive answer to the question, "Why?"

JMO

 

[Spyralflare]

Head-trauma expert raises flags about Louisville shooter's concussions

A head-trauma expert is calling for more to be done to prevent traumatic brain injuries among student athletes as it's revealed that Louisville shooter Connor Sturgeon battled concussion issues.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I’ve read multiple articles that say that he was known in high school as being “the guy who has had so many concussions.” Having a family member who has undergone a slow but major personality change after having had just one, I can’t help but wonder if this was a factor in his actions.

 

[WingsOverTX]

2 thoughts. Dad retired recently to spend more time with his kids (2020?), Per links posted in this thread. Perhaps that may be due to issues presenting in his son?

This kid is prime age for presentation of schizophrenia.

Imho

The kid is legally an adult. Not convinced Dad spending more time with him would have changed anything ever.

His parents knew he had mental health issues & if true, multiple concussions. Did those providing him MH treatment know about the serious head injuries?

How long was he treated for anxiety & depression? Since his teens or ? I believe CS made an outcry somewhere. Probably online if he was successful in hiding his murderous plans from those closest.

His having a weapon or easy access to one is an often-overlooked red flag. But it's difficult to intervene when that person is an adult. I don't believe in invasion of privacy but these cases indicate we have to increase awareness of danger signs & create ways to address them before these events occur. I know, big ask!

JMOO