Hero Police Officer Was Only on the Job For Two Weeks Before Responding to Bank Massacre

By
Natalia Kay
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Louisville police officer Nick Wilt, 26, was shot in the head after just two weeks on the job while responding to an active shooter.

Wilt is currently fighting for his life in critical condition at the hospital. He graduated from the police academy on March 31.

Police have identified 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon as the man who opened fire in a Louisville bank, killing four and injuring nine. The shooter also fired at responding police officers.

Police Chief Jackie Gwinn-Villaroel said, “The next few days are important and very critical for Nickolas’s recovery.”

Sturgeon listed his pronouns as “he/him,” according to his LinkedIn, and was a recent graduate of the University of Alabama, where he received his master’s degree.

Armed with a rifle, the shooter entered Old National Bank and live-streamed the massacre on Instagram.

After three consecutive summer internships, Sturgeon joined the bank full-time as an employee in 2021. He was recently fired from his job.

Sturgeon left a note for his parents and a friend saying that he was going to shoot at the bank, according to CNN.

The four deceased victims were identified as Joshua Barrick, 40, Thomas Elliot, 63, Juliana Farmer, 45, and James Tutt, 64. One of the victims was a close friend of Kentucky’s governor.

In high school, Sturgeon was a star athlete but allegedly suffered so many concussions that he wore a helmet at basketball games.

More from Fox News:

The first reports of shots fired came in at 8:38 a.m., she said. Sturgeon shot at responding officers.

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“We then returned fire and stopped that threat,” she said. “The suspect is deceased. This is the only time that I will mention the suspect name in this case: Connor Sturgeon, white male, 23 years of age, who was employed at Old National Bank.”

Sturgeon used a rifle during the attack, she said. It was not immediately clear whether he purchased it himself, she said.

Gwinn-Villaroel said she was unaware of any prior contacts between police and the gunman.

“It is clear from the officers’ response that they absolutely saved people’s lives,” Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey said at an earlier press conference.