Police tape surrounds the Old National Bank after a gunman opened hearth on April 10, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Michael Swensen/Getty Images

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Michael Swensen/Getty Images

Police tape surrounds the Old National Bank after a gunman opened hearth on April 10, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Michael Swensen/Getty Images

The gunman who killed 5 folks and injured eight others throughout a taking pictures in downtown Louisville on Monday purchased the AR-15 rifle used within the assault legally, authorities mentioned Tuesday.

Connor Sturgeon bought the weapon from a Louisville supplier on April 4 — six days earlier than the assault — in keeping with Louisville Metro Police Department Interim Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel.

Authorities additionally confirmed that the 25-year-old was an energetic worker of the financial institution on the time of the taking pictures.

As of Tuesday noon, 4 victims had been nonetheless being handled on the University of Louisville Hospital, three of whom had been in secure situation.

The fourth affected person was Officer Nickolas Wilt, one of many responding cops who was shot within the head Monday morning when police exchanged gunfire with the shooter. Wilt remained in crucial situation.

Authorities additionally mentioned they’d quickly launch physique digital camera footage from the taking pictures.

According to LMPD Lt. Col. Aaron Crowell, about 9 minutes elapsed between the beginning of the taking pictures and when officers “neutralized” Sturgeon.

Crowell mentioned emergency companies obtained the primary name about three minutes after the shooter opened hearth, officers arrived on the scene about three minutes after that and police shot and killed Sturgeon three minutes later.

The taking pictures renewed requires motion to fight gun violence

At the Tuesday news conference, a number of officers made emotional pleas to state and federal legislators to do extra to fight the type of lethal gun violence that unfolded in Louisville on Monday.

“I am a person of faith. I was raised in the church. We’ve raised our kids in the church. Please, if you are a person of faith, and you want to give us your thoughts and your prayers, we want them and we need them,” mentioned Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky.

“But we need policies in place that will keep this from happening again, so that thoughts and prayers do not have to be offered to yet another community ripped apart by the savage violence coming from guns,” he added.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg referred to as the extent of gun violence “beyond horrific” and mentioned 40 folks had already been shot to dying in Louisville this 12 months. “It’s beyond anything we can and will accept in our community,” he mentioned.

Greenberg referred to as on lawmakers on the state Capitol in Frankfort in addition to members of Congress in Washington, D.C., to do extra.

He additionally criticized a Kentucky legislation that he mentioned would permit the AR-15 rifle utilized in Monday’s taking pictures to be auctioned off.

When requested what it was like for hospital employees to take care of the inflow of sufferers from the taking pictures, University of Louisville Health chief medical officer Jason Smith mentioned it wasn’t unusual for the emergency room to see that many gunshot victims in someday.

“To be honest with you, we barely had to adjust our operating room schedule to be able to do this,” he mentioned. “That’s how frequent we are having to deal with gun violence in our community.”

Smith mentioned he was “weary” after seeing victims of gun violence on the hospital for all of his 15 years there, and that it may be a drain on the medical professionals who’ve to inform households that their family members have died.

“It just breaks your heart. When you hear someone screaming ‘mommy’ or ‘daddy,’ it just becomes too hard day in and day out to be able to do that,” he mentioned.

“I don’t know what the answers are. But to everyone who helps make policy — at state, city, federal — I would simply ask you to do something. Because doing nothing, which is what we’ve been doing, is not working.”

Russell Lewis contributed reporting.