According to the latest reports from the police, at least five people have been reported dead and eight were injured in the shooting that took place in Louisville, Kentucky on Monday.
The shooter responsible for the incident is also reported to be dead. The tragic incident took place in the conference room located on the first floor of the Old National Bank in Downtown Louisville.
Looking closely at the incident, the Louisville Metro Police officers received a call that reported gunshots being fired at East Main Street Downtown around 8:38 am on Monday.
The police confirmed that the attack resulted in the death of five people. The victims of the incident who were reported dead were identified to be Joshua Barrick, Thomas Elliot, Juliana Farmer, James Tutt, and Deanna Eckert.
Another eight people who were present at the site were reported injured. Among the injured, two of them are in critical condition right now. Of the remaining six, three of them are in uncritical condition and the remaining three people were released from the hospital as they were well enough.
The police also said that among the two survivors who are currently in critical condition, two of them were responding to the police but the situation of the second person, who is identified to be Nickolas Wilt, was quite serious.
Deanna Eckert, a victim of the incident was reported to be under critical conditions earlier but recent updates confirm that she had also passed away at the hospital. The LinkedIn page of the deceased suggests that she was also an employee at the bank.
As per the primary investigation reports from the police department, the man responsible for the shooting was identified to be a former employee at the Old National Bank. The shooter was a 23-year-old white male. He was killed on the spot by the officers who reached in time.
Reports from other sources suggest that the employee was told that he would be fired from the bank after a year of employment there.
According to the statement made by Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, the interim Louisville Police Chief, the shooter possessed a rifle during the time of the attack. He also added that the shooter live-streamed the attack and also that he had no kind of prior engagement with the police.
The cases of random shootings that include places like workplaces have been rising in the country for the past few years.
Infamous incidents like the shooting at a mushroom farm in Half Moon Bay, California that took place in January and also the shooting at Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia that took place in November 2022 are all examples of workplace shootings that have resulted in fatal outcomes.
In a press briefing that was conducted after the incident, police chief Gwinn-Villaroel, the Mayor of Louisville Craig Greenberg, and the governor of Kentucky Andy Beshear addressed the incident and shared details about the incident and also the victims.
Governor Andy Beshear stated that one of the victims who was shot dead named Elliot was a close friend of his and was someone who used to advise him on his law career and also on his role as a father.
He also added that another friend of his, whom he thought had passed away in the incident is currently being admitted to the hospital in critical condition.
Kentucky Senators Mitch McConnell and Paul Rand also expressed their condolences toward the victims of the attack.
President Joe Biden also expressed his sympathy regarding the incident and towards the victims and their close ones. He also expressed his concern by asking when the Republicans in Congress will act to protect the community.
The issue of mass shootings is something that has been troubling the nation for many years.
The workplace shooting that took place in Louisville follows more than 100 such similar cases in recent times. The high frequency of mass shooting incidents is a problem that is unique to the United States.
One of the major reasons that are associated with the issue is the laws regarding the ownership of firearms by civilians. The country has a high number of civilian gun owners when compared to other countries.
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The United States And The Civilian Gun Ownership
As per the Gun Violence Archive, a mass shooting refers to an incident in which at least four people or more are shot. Such incidents are becoming a common scene in the United States and the authorities have made out that there is an undeniable connection between the number of civilian gun ownership and mass shootings.
The incident that took place in Louisville on Monday marks the 146th mass shooting that has been reported in the country in 2023, within just four months.
The United States has the highest number of civilian gun owners in the world compared to any other country.
The country has been trying to implement more regulations for civilians in the purchase of guns but the Republican party which is said to have a deep connection with the National Rifle Association prevents any further control; to be implemented in the issue, fearing backlash from their supporters.
The party has stated that they were not interested in doing more on the issue as of now.
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