Louisville Bank Shooting: Suspect's Mental Health Issues, Revealed

Connor Sturgeon was receiving professional treatment for depression and anxiety
The family was unaware of his employment problems at the Louisville bank
Sturgeon's parents were oblivious to his AR-15 purchase

The parents of the Louisville bank shooter who killed five coworkers on Monday morning have broken their silence, stating that despite their son's mental health issues, they never imagined he would commit such a heinous act.

After storming the Old National Bank in downtown Louisville with an assault rifle and carrying out the carnage, Connor Sturgeon was slain by police gunfire. Sturgeon reportedly left a voicemail for an acquaintance saying he felt "suicidal" and intended to "murder everyone at the bank" before opening fire at his workplace.

Connor Sturgeon's Mental Health Issues

It is unknown when the notes were discovered, but he also left letters to his roommate and parents detailing his homicidal plot. A former classmate stated that Sturgeon, a former football player, had sustained numerous concussions, NY Post reported.

The parents of Sturgeon expressed grief for the five victims he murdered and their child and praised the officers for their courage. According to reports, Sturgeon was on the verge of being dismissed from his position as an associate and portfolio banker at the bank. He was employed full-time in 2019 after completing three consecutive internships.

At 8:30 a.m., he stormed into the bank and opened fire with an AR-15 assault rifle he purchased the previous week while live streaming the carnage on social media. Sturgeon killed five coworkers and injured eight others, including a close acquaintance of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.

In the exchange of fire with the shooter, two officers were injured. A 26-year-old rookie officer, Nickolas Wilt, was struck in the cranium on the bank steps. He underwent brain surgery, and his condition is critical but stable. Wilt had matriculated from the police academy less than a week before the incident. Cory Galloway, the second officer, was struck in the shoulder.

Two minutes after receiving the call, the officers arrived at the scene of the gunshot as the first to appear. Galloway was the one who fatally wounded Sturgeon. Tuesday, Louisville police released bodycam footage of the fatal encounter.

All of Sturgeon's victims were employees of the Old National Bank, which was closed to the public at the time of the attack. Tommy Elliott, 63, a senior vice president; Jim Tutt, 64, a market executive; Joshua Barrick, 40, an additional senior vice president; Juliana Farmer, 45, a commercial loan specialist; and Deana Eckert, 57, an executive administrative officer, have been identified.

According to 911 recordings released by police on Wednesday, the mother of the Old National Bank shooter called 911 after hearing secondhand that her son had a pistol and was heading toward the bank.

The call, which was placed at 8:41 a.m. on Monday, was one of several 911 calls released to the public on Wednesday, detailing the panic and fear during the mass shooting in which the gunman shot his coworkers and responding officers before being killed by police.

According to ABC7, the release of the files occurs as Louisville officials prepare to hold a vigil for the victims at 5 p.m. and as the gunman's family has released a statement detailing his mental health issues.

On Tuesday, police also released dramatic footage from police body cameras depicting the response to the shooting. According to the audio files, the first contact with 911 came from a female Old National Bank employee who witnessed the gunshot on video.

A second caller whispered that she works at the bank and is concealed in a closet. Multiple gunshots can be heard in the background while on the phone. Other calls to 911 were made by a second bank employee, an employee of a nearby business, and a motorist who witnessed the assailant.

Louisville Bank Shooting Suspect's Family, Friends Break Their Silence

Todd Sturgeon, the father of Connor, had even retweeted anti-gun accounts and tweets online. At 8.33 a.m. on Monday, Sturgeon was observed entering the bank on East Main Street in Louisville while armed with a legally purchased AR-15. He then opened fire, killing five senior executives and injuring eight others.

Over the course of six minutes, police were observed driving up to the building and storming the entrances while gunfire broke out in the streets. A counsel for the family revealed exclusively to DailyMail.com on Tuesday that Sturgeon's parents received a text message from him just minutes before the attack that read, "I love you."

The family is aware that the young man left a note or notes, but police have yet to provide them to them, the attorney added. Connor Sturgeon shared a one-story home with a close friend who claimed he was unaware his housemate was planning an attack.

According to his attorney, Dallas Whalen, 24, Sturgeon's friend, has been cooperating with investigators. Whalen has maintained a low profile since the incident.

Monday night, his father went to the residence to retrieve some of his son's possessions and to assist a young woman who was believed to be staying there. According to authorities, the murder weapon was legally purchased from a Louisville arms dealer on April 4.

Whalen was unaware of the acquisition and was unaware of Connor's plans or intentions, according to his attorney, who also represents the Sturgeon family. Whalen's attorney stated that he is working with the Sturgeon family and offering Whalen, counsel through them.

Neighbors told DailyMail.com that Sturgeon and his companion had lived in the modest two-bedroom home for about a year and that the shooter was described as silent but affable. The neighbor reported that Sturgeon and Whalen were always courteous and would invite her family to their home when his friends would congregate in the backyard to play beer pong.

The attack was one of more than 145 reported shootings in the United States this year in which at least four persons were wounded, excluding the perpetrator.