The 25-year-old former banking analyst who shot and killed four of his colleagues after losing his job was a top athlete in high school but suffered multiple concussions, a friend claims.
Connor Sturgeon was killed by police in Louisville on Monday after storming Old National Bank.
Armed with an AR-15 assault rifle, he stormed into the morning conference at 8:30 a.m. — before the bank was open to the public — and killed Tommy Elliott, 63; Joshua Barrick, 40; James ‘Jim’ Tutt, 64; and Juliana Boer, 57.
Sturgeon reportedly live-streamed the attack on Instagram, left a suicide note for his parents, and posted memes announcing the impending attack.
A friend from high school said that Sturgeon was a star athlete in Indiana, where he excelled in track, football and basketball at his school across the Ohio River from Louisville.
But he suffered multiple concussions and wore a headgear.
Connor Sturgeon, 25, is seen in action representing Floyd Central High School in Floyds Knobs, Indiana – 10 miles from downtown Louisville
Sturgeon was a star off the track, as well as a talented football player and basketball player
Sturgeon attended high school in Indiana, across the Ohio River
“The main thing I keep coming back to is freshman year of high school we played soccer together in eighth grade, he was absent most of the year because he had multiple concussions,” the friend shared The everyday beast.
“Then he had a few more in high school.
“I’m not saying it’s the cause, but I always think back on it.
“There were times when I wondered, will this catch up with him? But never this way. He’s the last person I’d expect to do this.’
The friend said that Sturgeon was popular and high-flying and was nicknamed “Mr Floyd Central.”
His father Todd Sturgeon was Floyd Central’s head basketball coach until last year.
He previously coached the Indianapolis University men’s basketball team for 10 seasons, but left in 2007 after seeing his son at a basketball camp and realizing “maybe he’d rather spend more time with his own sons than those of other people.” people’.
Sturgeon’s brother is a professional model.
“I know everyone always says this about shooters, but I really never expected it to be him,” the friend said.
Sturgeon suffered multiple concussions, his high school friend said, and was sometimes unable to compete due to his head injury
Sturgeon is seen with an athletic award in 2016
After graduating from Floyd Central in 2016, Sturgeon attended the University of Alabama and graduated in 2020, the university confirmed.
In a 2018 essay for college dug up by The Daily Beast, Sturgeon wrote of his quest to improve his “discipline, accountability, and self-esteem … so that I can better myself as a whole.”
Sturgeon said he struggled to make friends – despite his friends seeing him as popular and a star athlete.
“My self-esteem has long been an issue for me,” he wrote.
“As a late bloomer in middle and high school, I struggled to fit in to some degree, and this has left me with a somewhat negative self-image that persists to this day.
“Making friends has never been easier, so I have more experience than most at operating alone.
“Plus, university has introduced a whole new vibe and new challenges, so it’s easy to feel like I’m not doing as well as I should.
“This semester, however, I think I’ve matured socially and I’m starting to see improvement in this area.
“I’ve found that taking the time to take stock of how I’m feeling and what I can do to feel better has helped me be more social and, in turn, feel better about myself.”
Sturgeon worked at Old National Bank (pictured Monday), but was told he was being fired
Police have been seen at the scene of Monday’s shooting in Louisville
A police officer stands outside the Sturgeon family home in Louisville
Sturgeon’s LinkedIn said he completed three summer internships between 2018 and 2020, before joining Old National Bank as a syndication clerk and portfolio banker.
“I am certified in the RMA Lending Decision Process, hold a Masters in Finance from the University of Alabama, and am on the Young Professionals board for Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana,” he wrote on his profile.
He also hosted a basketball-focused podcast with two friends, The Daily Beast said, and tweeted about the NBA.
He also posted messages of support for the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, as well as criticisms of police brutality and of Donald Trump.