Mass shooting at bank near Slugger Field baseball stadium in downtown Louisville
Reuters

KEY POINTS

  • An Old National employee in another branch called 911 after seeing the shooting on live video
  • Another bank employee who hid inside a closet told 911 that she recognized the gunman
  • The gunman's mother informed a 911 operator about the note her son left

Police in Louisville, Kentucky, have released several disturbing 911 calls related to the mass shooting at Old National Bank that left at least five people dead and several others injured Monday.

A bank employee at another Old National branch who witnessed her co-workers getting shot during a virtual meeting made the first call to authorities.

"Oh my God, oh my God, there's an active shooter there," the bank employee said in her 911 call, released by the Louisville Metro Police Department Wednesday.

The Old National employee told the 911 dispatcher that she "just watched" her colleagues being gunned down on the live video feed.

"I see somebody on the floor," she said.

Another bank employee who hid in a closet on the building's first floor called 911 during the incident.

The bank employee told the dispatcher that she was with her colleague inside the closet and that "eight or nine" people were shot. She also said in her call that she recognized the gunman as an employee of the bank.

Hotline operators received another 911 call related to the incident, this time from the mother of the alleged gunman.

Connor Sturgeon's mother, who identified herself at the beginning of the call, was agitated when she relayed information to the 911 operator, saying that her son's roommate informed her that Sturgeon left a note saying that he was going to the Old National Bank while carrying a gun.

"He has a gun and is headed to the Old National on Main Street here in Louisville," Sturgeon's mother said. "This is his mother, I'm so sorry, I'm getting details second-hand, I'm learning it now. Oh lord."

The mother insisted that her son, 25, was "non-violent" and a "really good kid."

She also informed the hotline operator that she was heading to the bank where her son was planning to carry out a shooting rampage. However, the 911 operator ordered Sturgeon's mother not to leave, telling her they had already received a call of a shooting taking place inside the bank.

Five people died Monday in the mass shooting at the bank in downtown Louisville. Authorities identified the victims as Old National Bank employees Joshua Barrick, 40; Thomas Elliot, 63; Juliana Farmer, 45; James Tutt, 64; and Deanna Eckert, 57.

Sturgeon had been killed after exchanging fire with police.

According to Louisville police, Sturgeon live streamed his shooting rampage on social media, though they did not elaborate on the details of the gunman's live streaming.

The gunman was a "syndications associate and portfolio" at Old National Bank, according to his LinkedIn account.

Unnamed law enforcement sources told ABC News that Sturgeon had recently been notified that he would be fired from his job. However, Louisville Metro Police Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey told CNN Wednesday that there "was no discussion about [the shooter] being terminated, and of course he wasn't fired," prior to the shooting.

His family issued a statement following the incident, saying they were shocked and never thought Sturgeon could kill people.

In a statement sent to WDRB, his family said that Connor struggled with mental health issues and that they had been "actively addressing" it before the incident. But they said they saw no signs he was planning or capable of such violence.

Sturgeon was in treatment working with a psychiatrist and a counselor for anxiety and depression issues, the family said.

The family vowed to continue cooperating with law enforcement officials to shed light on Connor's possible motives.

Mass shooting at Old National Bank in downtown Louisville
Reuters