Police: Shooting At Louisville Bank Building Leaves 4 Dead, 8 Wounded

New York Daily News: By Peter Sblendorio – A mass shooting at a bank building in Louisville, Ky., early Monday left four people dead and eight others wounded, authorities said.

The morning massacre at the Old National Bank building was carried out by a lone shooter who is also now dead, the Louisville Metro Police Department said. Two police officers were among the wounded victims.

“We believe this is a lone gunman involved in this that did have a connection to the bank. We’re trying to establish what that connection was to the business, but it appears he was a previous employee,” Deputy Police Chief Paul Humphrey said.

Police were alerted to the incident on the 300 block of E. Main St. around 8:30 a.m., and officers arrived at the scene within minutes, according to authorities. A shootout with the suspect followed, though cops haven’t confirmed whether he was fatally shot by officers or killed himself.

“This is a tragic event,” Humphrey said. “But it was it was the heroic response of officers that made sure that no more people were more seriously injured than what happened.”

One of the wounded officers was listed in critical condition, as was another victim. None of the victims have been identified, nor has the suspect.

Police say there is no longer any threat to the public but urged people to stay away from the scene. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said two of his friends died in the shooting and that another was hospitalized.

“When we talk about praying, I hope people will, for those that we are hoping can make it through the surgeries that they’re going through,” Beshear, a Democrat, said at a news briefing.

“We’ve got to wrap our arms around these families, and to everybody who needs it, don’t be afraid to get some help. Our bodies and our minds are not meant to go through these types of tragedies.”

Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, tweeted he and his wife are “praying for everyone involved in the deadly shooting in downtown Louisville this morning. Our hearts break for the families of those lost.”

Old National Bank called the shooting “tragic” and said CEO Jim Ryan was among the company executives who visited the scene Monday.

“The safety of Old National Bank employees and everyone we serve in our banking center locations is paramount,” Ryan said in a statement. “As we await more details, we are deploying employee assistance support and keeping everyone affected by this tragedy in our thoughts and prayers.”

Louisville police responded later in the morning to a shooting at the Jefferson Community and Technical College’s downtown campus that left one person dead and another wounded, according to local news station WAVE. The suspects fled the scene before officers arrived, police said.

Monday’s violence occurred two weeks after a shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville killed six people, including three 9-year-old children. Police fatally shot that assailant, identified as a former Covenant School student, 28-year-old Audrey Hale. Nashville is about 175 miles south of Louisville.

With News Wire Services

Top Feature Photo: This photo provided by Reid Cornell shows police presence near the scene of a shooting in Louisville, Ky, on Monday – Reid Cornell/AP