Louisville shooter bought gun legally last week, police say
The gunman who opened fire at an Old National Bank branch in Louisville, Kentucky, on Monday bought the weapon legally last week, Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said at a press conference Tuesday.
Gwinn-Villaroel said the 25-year-old shooter, who was an employee of the bank, bought the weapon from a local dealership on Apr. 4. Officials have identified the weapon as an AR-15 and described the attack as targeted.
On Monday morning, the shooter opened fire inside the bank, killing five and injuring eight others. He was killed by police after exchanging fire with officers, who responded to the scene within three minutes.
The victims of the shooting have been identified. Joshua Barrick, 40, was a senior vice president and father of two, CBS affiliate WLKY reported. James Tutt, 64, was a market executive who left behind a wife, children and grandchildren. Thomas Elliot, 63, was a senior vice president at the bank. Both Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said they were friends with Elliot. Juliana Farmer, 45, was a commercial banking agent who WKLY reported was expecting her fifth grandchild and had recently moved to Louisville.
Later on Monday, it was announced that Deana Eckert, 57, died from injuries sustained in the shooting. During Tuesday's press conference, Mayor Greenberg described the executive administrative officer as a "kind and thoughtful person" and mother of two.
Greenberg said that this year alone, there have been 40 gun deaths in the city.
Of the eight people injured in the attack, four remained hospitalized Tuesday. Dr. Jason Smith, the chief medical officer at UofL Health, said two people were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. A third remained in the intensive care unit in stable condition. The fourth hospitalized victim is Officer Nickolas Wilt, who was shot in the head while exchanging fire with the gunman and was working his fourth-ever shift as a police officer after graduating from the academy in March 2023.
Smith said the hospital performed multiple emergency operations on Monday.
"To be honest with you, we barely had to adjust our operating room schedule to be able to do this, that's how frequent we are having to deal with gun violence in our community. I'll tell you personally, I'm weary. I've been in Louisville for 15 years, all of it at Univestiy Hospital. For 15 years I've cared for victims of violence and gunshot wounds," Smith said. "There is only so many times you can walk into a room and tell someone they are not coming home tomorrow. It just breaks your heart."
Gwinn-Villaroel said the shooter's home has been searched but did not go into specifics about what investigators found. Another official declined to say if any other guns were discovered during the search.
Congressman Morgan McGarvey noted the investigation was ongoing.
"This investigation is dynamic. It is ongoing. But we know this shooter purchased an AR-15 rifle on April 4," McGarvey said Tuesday. "We know he left a note. We know he texted or called at least one person to let them know he was suicidal and contemplating harm."
The gunman's family said in a statement obtained by CBS News Tuesday night that the gunman had been dealing with "mental health challenges" which the family had been "actively addressing," but went on to say that "there were never any warning signs or indications he was capable of this shocking act."
The family also said it would "continue to cooperate fully" with the investigation.
"No words can express our sorrow, anguish, and horror at the unthinkable harm our son...inflicted on innocent people, their families, and the entire Louisville community," the family said. "We mourn their loss and that of our son."
