Among the 4 people who were left dead in the Louisville mass shooting on Monday were Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear’s two close friends.
“This is awful. I have a very close friend that didn’t make it today, and I have another close friend that didn’t either,” Beshear said during a news conference Monday morning. He also added that he has another friend that was injured in the shooting “that I hope is going to make it through.”
He also mentioned that the bank where the shooting took place was his bank. Police responded within three minutes of getting a call about an “active aggressor” in the area. The suspect exchanged gunfire with the police and ended up dead. The police are trying to determine whether the shooter died from gunfire or a self-inflicted wound. The identity of the shooter has not been revealed yet.
At least two police officers were shot during the exchange, Louisville Metro Police Deputy Chief Col. Paul Humphrey said. One of them has been hospitalized and is expected to undergo surgery.
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As of Monday morning, one of those cops was in critical condition and having surgery at the University of Louisville Hospital, according to Humphrey.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Beshear showered praise on the responding officers.
“I want to thank them, and all of our other law enforcement officers, for responding and doing their best to try and save some of my friends and many others,” Beshear stated.
The gunman, who has not been recognized officially, was also killed in the incident.
“We believe this is the work of a lone gunman with a connection to the bank,” Humphrey added. “We’re trying to establish what that connection was to the business, but it appears he was a previous employee.”
Witness Troy Haste, an Account Executive at Old National Bank, told WLKY, “He just started firing.” “I didn’t see his face. We were in the conference room. Whoever was next to me got shot, their blood’s on me.”
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Another witness stated that he fled for his life as soon as the firing began.
“We have a break room. I got in there, shut the door for a second, and then I was looking around opening the door to see where he was at, and I could see him still shooting,” the man told WHAS-TV.
“I didn’t see his face before fleeing out the front door.”
According to the 2020 Census, the Louisville metro region, which is situated along Kentucky’s border with Indiana, was home to about 630,000 people. The minor league baseball stadium Louisville Slugger Field borders the 300 block of East Main Street to the east. Businesses in this area include a dentist’s office, a furniture store, and the Louisville Ballet.
