Louisville bank shooter Connor Sturgeon's family: There were no warning signs

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The family of Connor Sturgeon said late Tuesday that there were "never any warning signs" he was capable of the shooting at Old National Bank in downtown Louisville that left five people dead and eight others injured.

"No words can express our sorrow, anguish, and horror at the unthinkable harm our son Connor inflicted on innocent people, their families, and the entire Louisville community," the family said in a statement. "We mourn their loss and that of our son, Connor. We pray for everyone traumatized by his senseless acts of violence and are deeply grateful for the bravery and heroism of the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department.

"While Connor, like many of his contemporaries, had mental health challenges which we, as a family, were actively addressing, there were never any warning signs or indications he was capable of this shocking act. While we have many unanswered questions, we will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement officials and do all we can to aid everyone in understanding why and how this happened."

Sturgeon, 25, was an employee of the bank and had bought the murder weapon, an AR-15, legally six days before Monday's shooting, said Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, Louisville Metro Police's interim chief.

CNN had quoted anonymous law enforcement sources on Monday as saying Sturgeon was potentially being fired. But Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg told reporters Tuesday he was not aware of Sturgeon being given any such notice.

Bank officials have not returned phone calls seeking comment.

Sturgeon grew up in Southern Indiana and graduated from Floyd Central High School, about 12 miles northwest of Louisville. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Alabama, an Alabama spokesperson confirmed.

At Floyd Central, he played basketball for his father, Todd Sturgeon, who was the head coach. The younger Sturgeon was named “Mr. Floyd Central” in 2016 as a senior.

A former friend and teammate at Floyd Central told The Daily Beast this week that he was “smart, popular and a star athlete.”

But in a 2018 college essay at the University of Alabama, Sturgeon wrote, “My self-esteem has long been a problem for me” and as a “late bloomer in middle and high school, I struggled to a certain extent to fit in, and this has given me a somewhat negative self-image that persists today.” The essay was posted to a website called “CourseHero,” CNN and The Daily Beast reported, but it has since been taken down.

More: What we know about the mass shooting at Old National Bank in Louisville

Sturgeon left a note behind and told at least one person he was suicidal, according to U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey, who spoke at a press conference Tuesday with city officials.

Sturgeon was shot and killed by LMPD Officer Cory Galloway at the bank in a shootout that injured Galloway and Officer Nick Wilt, who was hit in the head as the two officers approached the outer doors of the building on East Main Street. Wilt was in critical condition Tuesday after undergoing brain surgery Monday. Galloway was grazed on his left side.

LMPD Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey said Sturgeon had walked away from victims inside the bank and into the lobby to "set up an ambush" for police.

The five people who died in the shooting were bank employees Josh Barrick, 40; Deana Eckert, 57; Tommy Elliott, 63; Juliana Farmer, 45; and Jim Tutt Jr., 64.

Sturgeon had been living in a house on Taylor Avenue in the Camp Taylor neighborhood in southern Louisville. Gwinn-Villaroel said police searched his place on Monday. Officers were seen carrying bags out of the house, and they also canvassed the neighborhood for doorbell video. Gwinn-Villaroel declined to specify what was seized.

More: How to help Old National Bank shooting victims' families

Reporters Lucas Aulbach and Madeline Mitchell contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Parents of Louisville shooter: There were no warning signs