Louisville Officer Who 'Ran Toward Gunfire' at Bank Hailed as a Hero

Louisville Police Officer Nickolas Wilt, who was shot in the head during the mass shooting at a Kentucky bank leaving five dead in addition to the gunman, is "fighting for his life" after being on the job for less than two weeks.

"Officer Wilt is fighting for his life. Please respect that and give his family their privacy," a spokesperson for the Louisville Metro Police Department said to Newsweek in an email.

Wilt was one of the LMPD officers responding to an active shooter at Old National Bank Monday morning. Former bank employee Connor Sturgeon, 25, was identified as the shooter who killed five and wounded eight. Three officers were among the injured, with Wilt in critical condition and two others with minor injuries, LMPD Interim Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said during a news conference.

Wilt, 26, graduated from the police academy March 31, Gwinn-Villaroel said. LMPD shared a photo on social media and said Wilt "ran towards the gunfire today to save lives." The rookie officer's actions were quickly praised on social media, with many calling him a hero.

Police response times and actions have been under immense scrutiny, most notably after the parents of Robb Elementary School shooting victims ripped local law enforcement in Uvalde, Texas, for its handling of the massacre leaving 19 children and two adults dead.

Outrage erupted after it was revealed that local police went inside Robb Elementary just minutes after the gunman, but quickly retreated. The shooter was killed by border patrol agents more than an hour later.

Wilt was injured while officers were stopping the shooter. Gwinn-Villaroel said that officers engaged with Sturgeon and fatally shot him within minutes of receiving reports of gunfire at Old National Bank.

"The next few days are important and very critical for Nickolas' recovery," she said, adding that he had just come out of brain surgery at University of Louisville Hospital.

Police initially identified four people killed: Tommy Elliott, 63, Juliana Farmer, 57, Jim Tutt, 64, and Josh Barrick, 40. A fifth victim, Deanna Eckert, 57, died later, according to LMPD. A motive for the shooting has not been released. Sturgeon was live-streaming the attack, police confirmed.

Wilt was a 2016 graduate of Oldham County High School. Before becoming an officer, he worked for Oldham County Emergency Medical Services, the La Grange Fire Department, Oldham County Central Dispatch and Henry County EMS, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Th FBI created a website to collect tips, images and videos and is asking those with information about the shooting to call 502-574-LMPD.

"We mourn with the city, but we are resolute in our determination to find answers," the FBI's Louisville office tweeted.

Update 04/11/23 12:04 p.m. ET: This article was updated to correctly reflect Sturgeon's age. Authorities originally told media he was 23.