A man opened fire at a bank in Louisville, Ky., on Monday, killing four people and wounding eight others, including two police officers, officials there said.
The suspected shooter, believed to be a previous employee, is also dead.
Here’s everything we know so far.
How it unfolded
The shooting began around 8:30 a.m. inside Old National Bank in downtown Louisville. Police responded within three minutes to calls of what they initially described as “an active aggressor.”
When officers arrived, they encountered the suspect “still firing gunshots,” Louisville Metro Police Department Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey told reporters at a news conference.
A video posted to Twitter showed police arriving to the area as gunshots rang out. In the footage, an officer is seen running into the street to warn motorists.
“Active shooter in the bank! Get out of your cars! Active shooter in the bank!” the officer is heard shouting.
Inside the bank, officers exchanged gunfire with the shooter, who died at the scene, Humphrey said. He added that authorities were trying to confirm whether the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound or was killed by those officers. The shooter acted alone, he said.
“We believe this is a lone gunman involved in this that did have a connection to the bank,” he said. “We’re trying to establish what that connection was to the business, but it appears he was a previous employee.”
At least two officers were among those injured, including one who was rushed into surgery at University of Louisville Hospital.
Humphrey said authorities were working to identify all of the victims and notify their families. He added that the investigation was ongoing and asked the public to avoid the area.
The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Department of Homeland Security are assisting Louisville police in the probe.
Praise for police response to latest U.S. mass shooting
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg thanked first responders, including the “brave and heroic” officers who rushed into the bank.
“Without a doubt, their actions saved lives,” said Greenberg, a Democrat.
The mayor also asked for prayers for the victims of another mass shooting in the United States.
“I ask that everyone around our city, around the country, around the world pray with us for those who are currently at University of Louisville Hospital injured, fighting for their lives as a result of another act of gun violence,” he said.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as one in which a minimum of four victims are shot, not including any shooter, there have been at least 145 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2023, including Monday’s in Louisville.
“I want everyone in the city to know that notwithstanding tragedies like today, when multiple people are killed by gun violence, our community will continue to come together,” the mayor continued. “We will find ways to love and support one another and the families and friends who have been directly impacted by these acts of gun violence. And we will come together as a community to work to prevent these horrific acts of gun violence from continuing here and around the state.”
Greenberg added: “We will get through this together.”
Governor’s friends among victims
At the news conference, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear revealed he had a personal connection to Monday’s shooting.
“This is awful,” Beshear said, holding back tears. “I have a very close friend that didn’t make it today. 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. So when we talk about praying, I hope people will.”
The bank building, he said, was where he ran his campaign for attorney general, and that he knew “virtually everyone in it.”
“That’s my bank,” he said.
The governor said he hopes survivors and families of the victims “will all reach out and get the help that they need.”
“I want people to know that while today is a horrific act, I do believe that this is a safe community with officers doing their very best each and every day,” he said. “And that’s what we saw here.”
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