The early morning serenity of a picturesque Louisville, Kentucky, downtown area was shattered on Monday when a lone shooter opened fire in a building where the Old National Bank is located.
The shooting that left at least four people dead and nine injured occurred at about 8:30 a.m.
Early reports indicate that officers responded within minutes of receiving the 911 call. According to Louisville Metro Police Department Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey, officers “encountered the suspect almost immediately, still firing gunshots.”
The gunman fired multiple rounds at officers — two were injured, one in the head. Chief Humphrey noted that one of the officers was in surgery at a local hospital.
Police report the assailant is now “deceased.” Wanting to calm anxious citizens, Humphrey said, “I want to reiterate that there is no [longer an] active threat. We believe this is a lone gunman involved in this that did have a connection to the bank.”
Humphrey added: “This is a tragic event. But it was the heroic response of officers that made sure that no more people were more seriously injured than what happened.”
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear described the shooting as “awful” and said he knew at least some of the Louisville bank victims. Before preparing to travel to the site of the shooting, Beshear shared that he had ties to some of the victims:
“I have a very close friend that didn’t make it today,” he said. “And I have another close friend who didn’t either and one who’s at the hospital that I hope is going to make it through.”
Beshear continued, “And so I hope that all the brave officers that stepped into the line of fire that are worried about one of their fellow officers will reach out for help when they need it. I hope that every one of those bank employees and folks in that building – one that I know well.”
“I want people to know that while today it’s a horrific act,” the governor added. “I do believe that this is a safe community with officers doing their very best each and every day. And that’s what we saw here. …And I want to thank them and all our other law enforcement officers for responding and doing their best to try to save some of my friends and many others.”
The governor added, “That’s my bank.”
Old National Bank officials (including CEO Jim Ryan) and special agents from the FBI’s Louisville office are assisting law enforcement partners in investigating the incident.
Ryan said: “The safety of ONB employees and everyone we serve in our banking center locations is paramount. As we await more details, we are deploying employee assistance support and keeping everyone affected by this tragedy in our thoughts and prayers.”
A witness to the shooting told WHAS11 that a man with a “long assault rifle” opened fire on the first floor.
“He just started firing,” the witness said. “I didn’t see his face. We were in the conference room. Whoever was next to me got shot; their blood’s on me.”
Minutes after officials received the active shooter call, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced an “active police situation downtown” and urged citizens to “please avoid the area around Slugger Field until further notice.”
Beshear tweeted: “Please pray for all of the families impacted and for the city of Louisville.”
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