The mother of the gunman in the deadly shooting Monday at Old National Bank in Louisville, Kentucky, called 911 to warn police about her son heading to the bank with a gun.
Louisville officials released her call on Wednesday, along with other 911 calls made during the attack that killed five people and injured eight others.
The woman said she learned about what her son was up to secondhand from her son’s roommate, and noted that he was an employee at the bank. The woman said she did not believe her son owned a gun, but suggested that her son’s girlfriend might have a firearm. She also said her son was a “good kid” who has never hurt anyone before. “I don’t know what to do, I need your help,” she said.
🚨 Here's the audio of the 911 call from the Louisville shooter's mother. pic.twitter.com/ebSKjMQpxl
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) April 12, 2023
There are breaks in the roughly three minutes of audio that was released. The mother appears to be unaware that the attack on the bank had begun. At the end of the audio, the woman was told not to head to the bank because it was “dangerous there” as indicated by other calls.
In explaining the reasons for the release, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said, “transparency is important, even more so in times of crisis.” He noted that parts of the audio “have been redacted to protect the privacy of those involved.”
The gunman, identified as a 25-year-old employee at the bank, died in a confrontation with responding police. Authorities said the suspect was armed with a rifle, which he legally purchased, and was live-streaming during the attack. Authorities have yet to announce a motive.
The Daily Wire is not naming the suspect in keeping with a policy of depriving mass shooters of undeserved notoriety.
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The Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) released on Tuesday body-cam footage of officers responding to the attack on the bank. LMPD said Nickolas Wilt and Cory “CJ” Galloway were the “hero” officers who were the first to arrive on the scene.
Here are our HERO Officers. Ofc. Nickolas Wilt (L) and Ofc. Cory "CJ" Galloway (R). Both are assigned to LMPD's First Division. Officer Wilt graduated on 3-31-23. Officer Galloway is a Training Officer and has been an Officer since 2018. #LMPD #Heroes pic.twitter.com/Ai8lvJQBTh
— LMPD (@LMPD) April 11, 2023
Wilt, a 26-year-old who recently graduated from the police academy, was shot in the head while confronting the shooter. Wilt received brain surgery at a hospital and was listed in critical condition.
The victims who died in the attack have been identified as Joshua Barrick, 40; Thomas Elliott, 63; and James Tutt, 64; Juliana Farmer, 45; and Deana Eckert, 57.
Elliott, a bank vice president, was well known by politicians locally and afar. Both Greenberg and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear described him as a friend. Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) also described Elliott as being close to his family.
“My friend Tommy Elliott was killed today in Louisville,” Scott tweeted. “He was my banker for many years. This news is very shocking and sad for Ann and me. He did so much in the Louisville community, and we pray for his family during this awful time.”
A vigil is planned for 5 p.m. Wednesday at the local Muhammad Ali Center.
“This vigil will be to acknowledge the wounds, physical and emotional, that gun violence leaves behind,” Greenberg said at a news conference on Tuesday, according to the Courier Journal. “It will be a(n) interfaith opportunity for our entire community to come together to grieve, heal, to begin to move forward.”