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On Monday, April 10, a mass shooting at Old National Bank in Louisville, Kentucky, left Vice President Thomas Elliot dead, along with four other victims. The suspected shooter has been identified as Connor Sturgeon, an employee who was at risk of being terminated. Sturgeon live-streamed the shooting on Instagram before being shot by officers responding to the scene.
The death of Elliott, a prominent citizen of Louisville's Southern Seminary, has shaken the city's Baptist community. The 63-year-old was considered a respected figure in the city's political sphere.
Trigger warning: This article concerns gun violence. Reader's discretion is advised
All there is to know about Thomas Elliott
According to Kentucky Today, Thomas Elliott was the son-in-law of Roy Honeycutt, the former president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. A prominent supporter of former gubernatorial candidate Andy Beshear, Elliott reportedly used his influence in the Kentucky business world to influence the city's politics.
In addition to serving as the Senior Vice-President of Old National Bank, he was formerly chairman of the board at Baptist Health Louisville.
In an official statement, Andy Beshear noted that Thomas Elliott had supported him in his law career, which ultimately led to his political aspirations. Beshear said:
"We lost four children of God today, one of whom was one of my closest friends. Tommy Elliott helped me build my law career (and) helped me become governor."
Beshear noted that Elliott not only assisted him in his career but also in his personal life. He continued:
"He gave me advice on being a good dad. He's one of the people I talk to most in the world, and very rarely are we talking about my job. He was an incredible friend."
Officials speculate that Connor Sturgeon may have killed Elliott and other employees as revenge for his reported termination.
The victims of the Old National Bank attack
In addition to Thomas Elliott, the victims of the shooting include 64-year-old Marketing Executive Jim Tutt; 40-year-old Senior Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Banking Josh Barrick; 45-year-old commercial banking agent Julianna Farmer, and 57-year-old executive administrative officer Deana Eckhart.
In an official statement, an Old National Bank spokesperson said:
“There are no words to adequately describe the sadness and devastation that our Old National family is experiencing as we grieve the tragic loss of our team members and pray for the recovery of all those who were injured."
As per CNN, at least nine people were taken to the hospital in the aftermath of the shooting. Among the injured, there was at least one police officer. While three of the injured victims have been discharged, three remain in critical condition. The shooting currently remains under investigation.
