President Joe Biden responded to Monday’s shooting in Louisville, Kentucky, by reiterating his call for stricter gun control and calling on Republicans in Congress to implement it.
“Once again our country mourns a senseless act of gun violence – Jill and I pray for the lives lost and affected by today’s shooting. Too many Americans pay the price of inaction with their lives. When will Republicans in Congress act to protect our communities?” he wrote on Twitter.
Five people were killed and eight others injured in an early morning shooting at the Old National Bank in downtown Louisville. The suspected shooter died on the spot.
Biden declared himself powerless to do anything about gun violence after a shooting last month in Nashville, Tennessee, that killed six people, including three children.
President Joe Biden called Monday’s shooting in Louisville “pointless” and called on Republicans in Congress to pass gun control legislation
“I used the full extent of my executive power to do something with guns on my own,” Biden said, shifting the burden to Congress.
But even with Biden’s Democrats in charge of both chambers of Congress, they were unable to pass significant gun reform legislation. It is highly unlikely that this will happen now that Republicans are in charge of the House.
Congress passed legislation encouraging local governments to create red flag laws and make minor changes to background checks. But it has failed to re-pass the assault weapons ban, which Biden initially helped pass as a senator.
The issue turns political, with Biden blaming Republicans in Congress and the GOP claiming they are protecting Second Amendment rights.
The gunman in Louisville, believed to be a “disgruntled employee,” opened fire around 8:33 a.m. Monday, as the bank opened and employees attended a morning conference.
The University of Louisville has since announced it has treated nine patients, including two officers and seven civilians. Three patients have already been released.
Among the dead is the gunman, who is said to have used an AR-15 style rifle in the shooting. Whether the suspect was killed by officers’ gunfire or a self-inflicted wound remains unclear.
Authorities are now encouraging the public to stay away from the 300 block of East Main Street in the center of town — just hours away from Nashville, where a gunman recently opened fire on a Christian school, killing six people.
People are pictured embracing each other after the mass shooting at the Old National Bank
Blood was seen on the steps outside the Old National Bank in Louisville Monday morning
On another tragic morning for America, here are key developments from the latest mass shooting:
That’s what a bank employee told me WHY that they saw a man with a “long assault rifle” fire several 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 sat next to me got shot, their blood is on me,” he added.
Another witness said they heard multiple gunshots and shattering glass coming from the bank on Monday morning.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said at a news conference that one of his “close friends” was a victim of the shooting
Photos from the scene show broken glass at the Old National Bank after the shooting
ATF agents were seen on Monday with a stretcher outside the Old National Bank
Two people are pictured embracing outside the Old National Bank in Louisville
Investigators from the Louisville Metro Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms respond to the scene of the shooting
Police were deployed to the scene of the mass shooting in downtown Louisville Monday morning
Louisville subway Police stand outside the Old National Bank building as the investigation continues
Authorities say there is no ongoing threat to the public, but are urging people to avoid the area as investigations continue
“I had just dropped my son off at work on River Road,” an anonymous witness said WDRB. “I was at the traffic light and the first thing I saw was a man across the intersection and he was at the entrance of a hotel.”
At first, she said, she thought the man was just jogging, but then she noticed he was on the stairs, not the sidewalk.
Then she said she heard gunshots, with video of the scene showing at least three shots fired.
“As I was sitting at that intersection, gunfire erupted, about right above my head,” she said. “I didn’t know if it was on the couch or off the couch, I took off.”
“When I turned around, I saw that one of the windows in the bank had blown out.”
She then said she saw police vehicles moving towards the area.
“They came from everywhere,” she said. “The police came out of their cars with black guns.”
“I just dove into my car and waited there.”
The Old National Bank remained cordoned off on Monday after the shooting
Ambulances and police cars were seen outside the Louisville Slugger Field after the shooting
Police in Louisville, Kentucky respond to an active gunman outside the Old National Bank
Meanwhile, Tammy Madigan, who works for a commercial real estate company on the fifth floor of the building, said she and her colleagues decided to hide in the bathroom.
She said there were about six people in the office when one of her colleagues arrived and said they saw someone walking into the building with guns.
Her colleague then called his colleague on another floor and warned everyone not to leave, while Madigan and her colleagues called 911 and locked all the doors.
“But before the police arrived on the scene, we started hearing shots,” Madigan told police Daily beast.
“The bathrooms on our floor have a key code, so it was probably the safest place we could think of to hide,” she continued. “So the six of us went into the men’s room, turned off all the sounds on our phones, and tried to be as quiet as possible.”
After about five minutes, Madigan said she heard voices saying it was police.
“But we didn’t know if it was really the police or the gunman trying to get us out,” she said.
Once officers were able to convince Madigan and her colleagues they were real, they said, officers evacuated them from the property.
“When the elevator door opened, the shooter was dead,” she said. “There was a lot of glass everywhere.
“One of the girls in my office just had a breakdown,” Madigan continued. “One of the guys pressed the button to close the door, so the police let us out through the basement and took us to Slugger Field, where they started taking statements from everyone in the building.
“I bet there were 100 cops,” she said.
Photo of the Old National Bank in downtown Louisville – where police have reported an active shooting incident
The FBI and agents for alcohol, tobacco and firearms are also on the scene.
Old National Bank is an American regional bank with nearly 200 branches operated by Old National Bancorp located in Chicago, Illinois and Evansville, Indiana.
In a statement, CEO Jim Ryan said: “The safety of Old National Bank employees and everyone we serve in our banking center locations is of the utmost importance.
“As we await more details, we are enlisting the help of staff and keeping everyone affected by this tragedy in our thoughts and prayers.”