- Connor Sturgeon’s mother called 911 after Sturgeon’s roommate found a note left by Sturgeon prior to the shooting at Old National Bank on Monday.
- After the shooting, the Sturgeon family released a statement, saying that Sturgeon had struggled with mental health issues.
- Police have yet to confirm that Sturgeon had alerted someone about his intentions.
The mother of Louisville, Kentucky, shooter Connor Sturgeon called 911 after Sturgeon’s roommate reportedly informed her of his plans.
Police identified the gunman as Sturgeon, 23, on Monday afternoon. He killed five employees at the bank and injured nine others, including a Louisville Metropolitan Police Department (LMPD) officer who is in critical condition after suffering a gunshot wound to the head.
The victims were identified by local law enforcement as: Tommy Elliot, 63, Jim Tutt, 64, Joshua Barrick, 40, and Juliana Farmer, 45. A fifth victim, Deana Eckert, died in the hospital after the shooting.
Police fatally shot Sturgeon, who was an employee at the bank, while responding to the gunfire.
Michael Swensen/Getty
A slew of 911 calls came in regarding the shooting, which LMPD released on Wednesday. Sturgeon’s mother was one of the callers. During the three-minute call, she mentioned that the family doesn’t own guns and speculates whether Sturgeon’s girlfriend may have had access to guns. She informed the dispatcher that Sturgeon’s roommate was giving her information after finding a note left by Sturgeon before he went to Old National Bank with an AR-15-style rifle.
In the call, she urged the dispatcher to hurry and that she was getting the details secondhand from Sturgeon’s roommate.
An LMPD spokesperson told Newsweek that because it was an ongoing investigation, police could not confirm that Sturgeon left a note prior to the shooting.
“I don’t know what to do, I need your help,” the mother said to the 911 operator. “He’s never hurt anyone, he’s a really good kid.”
During the call, Sturgeon’s mother said that she was shaking, then questioned whether she should go to the bank. The operator urged her to stay away from the scene.
“It’s dangerous there,” the operator said, adding that there had been several other calls regarding the location.
“He’s already there?” the mother asked.
The operator confirmed it was an “unsafe situation” and that officers were already on the scene.
After the shooting, the Sturgeon family issued a statement, saying that Sturgeon struggled with mental health issues but said the family was “actively addressing” them and weren’t aware of indications that Sturgeon planned to kill others.
The scene at Old National Bank was chaotic, with officers worried they would be ambushed if they approached the bank. Gunshots can be heard on dispatch audio between officers. During communications, a dispatcher also said that Sturgeon left a voicemail with a friend informing them of his plans to attack the bank.
Rumors that Sturgeon had left a voicemail with a friend were circulating on social media even before police identified the shooter. Sturgeon live-streamed the shooting on his Instagram page, which has since been removed.
Police have not confirmed that Sturgeon alerted someone about his intentions and have not revealed a motive.
