Another US shooting: 23-year-old shoots 5 people in a Louisville bank

According to police, the gunman died after a shootout with police at the scene. The man would have been employed by the bank in Louisville.

He filmed his attack on Monday morning and broadcast it live on the internet, police chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said. “It is very tragic to know that this incident was recorded,” she said. However, the police are optimistic that they can take the images offline.

Louisville deputy police chief Paul Humphrey said officers arrived on the scene minutes after 911 and found the gunman, who was still firing at the time. Two officers were injured in the gunfight with him.

Officials “reacted in a timely manner and quickly, and we stopped the threat so there were no more casualties,” Gwinn-Villaroel said. It was initially unclear whether the perpetrator was killed by the police or shot himself.

According to the police, the victims are men and women between the ages of 40 and 64. Three of the nine injured are in critical condition.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said he himself lost one of his best friends in the attack. “He is one of the people I have spoken to the most and very rarely have we spoken about my work. He was an incredible friend,” the governor said of the dead man.

Police Chief Gwinn-Villaroel said one seriously injured was a police officer who was shot in the head during the confrontation with the gunman. It concerns a 26-year-old man who recently completed police training. “He is in critical but stable condition,” she said.

The United States has long experienced massive levels of gun violence. Rampages and deadly shootings are part of everyday life. Such larger attacks regularly lead to discussions about tightening gun laws – but so far without success. Firearms are easily available in the US.

After Monday’s shooting, US President Joe Biden once again called for tightening of gun laws in the country. “Too many Americans pay the price of inaction with their lives,” he said Monday. “When Will Republicans in Congress Step Up to Protect Our Communities?”

His predecessors repeatedly failed to persuade parliament, riddled with partisan divisions, to ban assault rifles and other protective measures. To implement them, Biden and his Democrats would have to rely on the willingness of Republicans in Congress to cooperate — but that’s not in sight at this point.

Attempts to introduce stricter gun laws have been unsuccessful for years – mainly because the Republicans are against it. And because the gun lobby, led by the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA), vehemently opposes any attempt to tighten gun control. (sda/dpa)