The parents of the Louisville bank shooter, who killed five coworkers on Monday morning, April 10, said in a statement that their son had been struggling with mental health issues, but they never imagined he would do something so evil.
After storming into the Old National Bank in downtown Louisville with an assault rifle and carrying out the massacre, Sturgeon was killed by police gunfire.
Sturgeon reportedly left a voicemail for a friend saying he felt “suicidal” and planned to “kill everyone at the bank” before shooting people in his workplace (after being informed weeks earlier that he would be fired). He also left letters revealing his deadly plan to his roommate and parents, though it’s unclear when the notes were discovered.
“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,” the family of 25-year-old gunman Connor Sturgeon said in a statement to WDRB News.
“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.”
The killer’s family did not say what kind of mental health challenges their son was fighting, but an ex-classmate said Sturgeon, a former student athlete, had suffered countless concussions from playing football.
Sturgeon’s parents said they mourned the loss of the five victims their son killed as well as the loss of their own child and praised the officers for their bravery.
“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,” his family said.
“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.”
Sturgeon was reportedly on the verge of losing his job as an associate and portfolio banker at the bank, where he had been hired full-time after completing three consecutive internships beginning in 2018.
Around 8:30 a.m., he stormed into the bank and opened fire with an AR-15 assault-style rifle he had purchased just a week before, livestreaming the massacre on social media. Sturgeon killed five coworkers and injured eight others, including a close friend of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.