At least five people were killed and eight others were injured in a shooting at a bank in downtown Louisville, Ky., on Monday morning, the police said. The suspected gunman died at the scene.
Paul Humphrey, the deputy chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department, said that the police received calls around 8:30 a.m. about a shooting at Old National Bank and when they arrived on the scene, “they encountered the suspect almost immediately, still firing gunshots.”
Chief Humphrey said that the gunman, whose name was not immediately released, was confirmed dead at the scene. “We do not know exactly the circumstances of his death at this time,” he said. It was not clear if the gunman was included among the five dead.
The police did not say what the gunman’s motive was, but they said that he had a connection to the bank and may have been a current or former employee. “We believe this is a lone gunman involved in this that did have a connection to the bank,” Chief Humphrey said at a news conference.
Five people were killed inside the bank, the deputy chief said, and at least eight people, including a police officer, were taken to a nearby hospital. He said that two people were in critical condition, including a police officer who was in surgery on Monday morning.
“There is no active danger known to the public at this time,” Chief Humphrey said.
The bank is across the street from Louisville Slugger Field, a minor-league baseball stadium where the Louisville Bats play. The area includes many hotels and apartment complexes.
Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky traveled to the scene of the shooting and was visibly emotional at the news conference on Monday morning.
“This is awful,” he said. “I have a very close friend that didn’t make it today. And I have another close friend who didn’t, either, and one who is at the hospital that I hope is going to make it through. So when we talk about praying, I hope people will.”
The governor said that he had run his campaign for attorney general from the bank building and knew “virtually everyone” inside. “That’s my bank,” he said.
State Representative Keturah Herron, a Democrat who represents part of Louisville, said on Twitter that “as we hold our community tighter,” there must also be “outrage and anger.”
“We live in a war zone and we shouldn’t have to,” she said.
The Police Department was still investigating the shooting at the bank when officers responded to another shooting later on Monday morning outside Jefferson Community and Technical College, less than two miles from the bank.
“The suspects fled prior to police arrival,” the Police Department said on Twitter of the second shooting. It was not immediately clear if there were any injuries or if there was a connection to the bank shooting.
Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, said on Twitter that he and his wife, the former transportation secretary Elaine Chao, were “devastated” by the shooting. “We send our prayers to the victims, their families, and the city of Louisville as we await more information,” he said.
Amanda Holpuch
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