The mother of Louisville gunman Connor Sturgeon frantically called 911 and told the operator that her son “currently has a gun and is on his way to” the bank where he killed five people. Authorities released the calls on Wednesday.
Bank employee Connor Sturgeon, 25, used an AR-15 assault rifle in the attack on Old National Bank on Monday, where he live-streamed the massacre before police fatally shot him.
Eight other people were injured, including a police officer who was shot in the head and is in critical condition in hospital.
In the call from a woman who identified herself as Sturgeon’s mother, Lisa, she told the operator, “He’s never hurt anyone; he’s a really good boy. Please don’t punish him… He is non-violent; he never did anything wrong.’
She told the operator that her son’s roommate, Dallas Whalen, found a note and called her.
Connor Sturgeon on the right with his father, Todd, mother, Lisa, and his younger brother, Cameron
The Louisville gunman (seen here on his prom night) killed five people and wounded at least seven during the bench shooting
Bank employee Connor Sturgeon, 25, used an AR-15 assault rifle in Monday’s attack on Old National Bank, where he killed five colleagues while livestreaming before police shot him dead
Lisa was told by the operator that they had received multiple 911 calls about the shooting. “So he’s here already?” Sturgeon’s mom asked, adding, “I’m sorry, I’m trying to get to my car… I’m shaking.”
The operator then advised her to stay away from the scene of the shooting.
During the conversation, Lisa also speculated that her son may have gotten his gun from his girlfriend. “I don’t know where he would have gotten a gun. He must have got it from his girlfriend or something.’
She later said, “I think maybe his girlfriend had a gun. I don’t know, maybe he saw them.’
Authorities believe Sturgeon bought the gun about a week before the massacre.
None of the callers were identified by name and other information was removed from the calls, but the first message that came in was from a woman on a video call in the bank.
She screamed and cried during the four-minute conversation, saying there was an active shooter at the bank’s downtown branch.
“Just watched it in a Teams meeting,” she said. “We had a board meeting. With our commercial (loan) team.
Bank employee Connor Sturgeon, 25, used an AR-15 assault rifle in the attack on Old National Bank on Monday, where he live-streamed the massacre before police fatally shot him.
“We heard multiple shots and everyone started saying, ‘Oh my God’ and then he came into the boardroom.”
After the first call, others began to pour in. One of the callers said she was calling from inside the building because numerous gunshots could be heard in the background.
“I’m hiding in a closet,” the caller said. She added that people had been shot and gave a description of the shooting, saying she knew the shooter. ‘He works with us.
“How long will it take them to get here?” she whispered and the dispatcher told her the authorities were on their way and advised her to keep quiet.
When asked what injuries there were, the caller replied, “I don’t know. I just saw a lot of blood.’
A witness who fled the bank and made his way to a nearby dental office told an operator, “I just saw a shotgun as it came around the corner. People have been shot. Get people there quickly, please… and ambulances, please.”
While another said, ‘We have an active shooter in our building… Come here now! We need someone now!’
Another call came from a man inside the bank, who told dispatchers the address and said, “We have an active shooting in our building. White man. He is an employee of Old National Bank. Come here now. We need someone now.’
Another call came from a motorist driving down Main Street who reported seeing a man walking around with an assault rifle and body armor.
“How long has it been since you saw this?” asked the coordinator.
The caller said it was about five minutes earlier and asked, “Did anyone else report this?” Like, I hope to God I see things.”
The control room then described what others reported the suspect was wearing and the caller confirmed this.
“Did you see him shoot or something?” asked the coordinator.
‘No madam. He was kind of jogging, like he was trying to get somewhere in a hurry,’ the caller said, but he couldn’t pinpoint the direction the gunman was heading.
Wednesday’s release included half an hour of radio traffic from the emergency services.
‘Transparency is important, especially in times of crisis. Today we are releasing the 911 calls from Monday’s mass shooting.
“Parts of the audio have been edited to protect the privacy of those involved,” Mayor Craig Greenberg said Wednesday.
It was previously reported that Sturgeon had been “neutralized” about three minutes after officers arrived at the bank.
On the 911 calls, emergency responders could be heard assessing the situation and sharing bits of information, such as the locations of possible victims. Those officers were also told to take witnesses to the nearby Slugger baseball stadium.
Flowers and a message of hope stand on the steps of the Old National Bank in Louisville
The release came hours before an interfaith vigil was scheduled at the Muhammad Ali Center to remember the victims and allow the public to pray for the injured.
“This is a very difficult time for our city, and we were not meant to go through difficult times alone,” Mayor Greenberg said in a statement.
On Tuesday, police released bodycam video showing the chaotic moments when officers arrived at the bank as the gunman, whom they couldn’t see, rained bullets on them.
Louisville Metro Police Department Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey walked reporters through edited footage and still photos at a press conference, praising the responding officers for their heroism.
Sturgeon’s parents said in a statement their son had mental health issues that were being addressed, but “there were never any warning signs or indications that he was capable of this shocking act.”
They said they are mourning the victims and the loss of their son, and are working with police to understand what happened.
The shooting, the 15th mass murder in the country this year, comes just two weeks after a former student killed three children and three adults at a Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, about 160 miles south of Louisville.
The five bank employees killed in the shooting were Joshua Barrick, 40, a senior vice president; Deana Eckert, 57, an executive administrative officer; Tommy Elliott, 63, also a senior vice president; Juliana Farmer, 45, loan analyst; and Jim Tutt Jr., 64, a manager in the commercial real estate market.
Wednesday’s vigil was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. local time.
“If you will, we ask people to come together to share our strength, pray for those who are still fighting for their lives after Monday’s shooting, remember all the people who have been touched by gun violence across our city and together working towards a safer future where we actually prevent gun violence instead of constantly responding to it,” Mayor Greenberg said in his statement.