LOUISVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — A lawsuit has been filed against a gun shop that sold ammunition to a person who would later kill five people and injure several others in a mass shooting at Old National Bank in downtown Louisville.
The shooting happened on April 10, 2023. The shooter, later identified as 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon, was shot and killed by police.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of multiple people who were injured in the shooting, as well as the families of James Tutt and Joshua Barrick, who were both killed. They allege River City Firearms failed to recognize several red flags exhibited by Sturgeon when he purchased from them six days before the shooting.
READ THE FULL LAWSUIT HERE:
According to the lawsuit, people who were inside the store at the time claim Sturgeon had "demonstrated a complete lack of knowledge or experience with firearms" and "appeared embarrassed" while avoiding eye contact with others. One person who was inside the store at the time considered calling the police after watching his behavior, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims Sturgeon told the clerk he wanted an AR-15 for a reason that did not match its intended use. Sturgeon told the seller a friend's home had recently been burglarized, according to the lawsuit.
When news of the shooting broke, the woman inside River City Firearms turned to her husband and said, "I bet it's that kid from the store," according to the lawsuit.
"This bystander, who never even spoke to Sturgeon, could nevertheless tell that he was a troubled man who should not have been entrusted with an AR-15," the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit also claims the gun store "upsold" several other products to Sturgeon, including three 30-round magazines, a red-dot sight to increase the accuracy of his aim, and a vertical grip that allows greater control of the weapon. His total purchase was $762.90.
The attorneys representing the plaintiffs are seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
