Connect with us

Published

on

Police bodycam footage has shown the moment officers confronted a gunman who had opened fire at a Louisville bank – killing five colleagues.

Connor Sturgeon, 25, was shot dead by police following the attack at the Old National Bank in the Kentucky city on Monday morning.

Two patrol officers who responded to the shooting were among eight wounded, with one of the officers hit in the head by a bullet.

Sturgeon livestreamed the attack on social media.

Police bodycam video footage was released by officers on Tuesday.

In the footage, the officer wearing the camera can be heard saying he is approaching the bank from the east side.

Smashed glass can be seen on the pavement before gunshots are heard and the police officer appears to hit the ground.

He then runs down some steps back to street level before taking cover.

In other footage, an officer named Corey Galloway’s body camera shows him perched behind a stairway outside the building after rookie officer Nickolas Wilt was hit in the head by a bullet.

He waits and, as other officers arrive, more gunshots are heard and Officer Galloway fires – and then shouts to say he thinks the attacker is down.

Louisville Metro Police Department Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey said the video shows Mr Galloway “continues to stay in the fight and try to assess exactly where” the gunman is after suffering a minor gunshot wound while on the radio and “trying to get a good view of the” attacker.

GUNMAN CONNOR STURGEON SHOWN INSIDE SHOOTING SITE
Image:
Surveillance footage shows Connor Sturgeon inside the bank

Mr Humphrey walked reporters through edited footage and still photos.

One still image from surveillance video showed the gunman holding a rifle inside the building, surrounded by broken glass.

Police said he set up an ambush position to attack officers as they arrived.

Police chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said they “unflinchingly” engaged Sturgeon to stop his rampage.

“The act of heroism can’t be overstated on yesterday. They did what they were called to do. They answered that call to protect and serve,” she told reporters.

Mr Wilt – who finished training less than two weeks ago – is critical but stable after being shot in the head, according to hospital officials.

Connor Sturgeon, who police have named as the Louisville shooter
Image:
Connor Sturgeon murdered five colleagues before police shot him dead

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Gunshots heard in Louisville footage

Ms Gwinn-Villaroel said the AR-15 style assault rifle used in the slaughter was legally purchased at a local dealership on 4 April.

Louisville mayor Craig Greenberg criticised state laws that mean the weapon will be sold at auction.

“The assault rifle that was used to murder five of our neighbours and shoot at police officers will one day be auctioned off,” he said.

“Think about that. That murder weapon will be back on the streets one day under Kentucky’s current law.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘An evil act of targeted violence’ – mayor

Police chief Ms Gwinn-Villaroel did not give an indication of the gunman’s motive, but said they had never dealt with him before.

Those killed have been named as Joshua Barrick, 40, Deana Eckert, 57, Thomas Elliot, 63, Juliana Farmer, 45, and James Tutt, 64.

In this photo provided by the Louisville Metro Police Department, from left, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, Officer Nickolas Wilt and Louisville Metro Interim Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel pose for a photo, in Louisville, Ky., March 31, 2023. Wilt was shot while responding to a call where a bank employee armed with a rifle opened fire at his workplace early Monday, April 10. (Louisville Metro Police Department via AP)
Image:
Officer Nickolas Wilt (centre) only recently finished training

Dr Jason Smith, chief medical officer at University of Louisville Health, was emotional when he spoke to the media and said he was “weary” of having to treat so many gun victims.

“There’s only so many times you can walk into a room and tell someone they’re not coming home tomorrow,” he said.

“It just breaks your heart when you hear someone screaming ‘mommy’ or ‘daddy’.'”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘I have a very close friend that didn’t make it’ – governor

Kentucky governor Andy Beshear said one of the dead, Thomas Elliot, was a close friend and had helped him “build him law career, helped me become governor, gave me advice on being a good dad”.

“He’s one of the people I talked to most in the world, and very rarely were we talking about my job. He was an incredible friend,” he said.

The Louisville incident came two weeks after three children and three staff were killed in a mass shooting at a school in Nashville, Tennessee.

The shooting, the 15th mass killing in the US this year, comes just two weeks after a former pupil killed three children and three adults at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, about 160 miles to the south.

Continue Reading

US

Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault, has died, her family says

Published

on

By

Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault, has died, her family says

Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault, has died aged 41.

In a statement to Sky’s US partner network NBC News on Friday, her family said she took her own life in the Perth suburb of Neergabby, Australia, where she had been living for several years.

“It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,” her family said.

“She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.

“Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors.

“In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight.”

FILE - Virginia Giuffre, center, holds a news conference outside a Manhattan court in New York, Aug. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)
Image:
Pic: AP

Police said emergency services received reports of an unresponsive woman at a property in Neergabby on Friday night.

“Police and St John Western Australia attended and provided emergency first aid. Sadly, the 41-year-old woman was declared deceased at the scene,” a police spokeswoman said.

“The death is being investigated by Major Crime detectives; early indication is the death is not suspicious.”

Sexual assault claims

Prince Andrew attends the Royal Family's Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene's church. File pic: Reuters
Image:
Prince Andrew has denied all claims of wrongdoing. File pic: Reuters

Ms Giuffre sued the Duke of York for sexual abuse in August 2021, saying Andrew had sex with her when she was 17 and had been trafficked by his friend, the billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The duke has repeatedly denied the claims, and he has not been charged with any criminal offences.

In March 2022, it was announced Ms Giuffre and Andrew had reached an out-of-court settlement – believed to include a “substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights”.

She stuck by her version of events until the end

Of the many dozens of victims of Jeffrey Epstein, it was Virginia Giuffre who became the most high-profile.

She was among the loudest and most compelling voices, urging criminal charges to be brought against Epstein, waving her right to anonymity in 2015.

She told how he and Ghislaine Maxwell groomed her and “passed around like a platter of fruit” to be used by rich and powerful men.

But her name and face became known around the world after she accused Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was 17 years old.

The picture of her together with the prince and Maxwell at the top of a staircase, his hand around her waist, is the defining image of the whole scandal.

Prince Andrew said he had no memory of the occasion. But Giuffre stuck by her version of events until the end.

‘An incredible champion’

Sigrid McCawley, Ms Giuffre’s attorney, said in a statement that she “was much more than a client to me; she was a dear friend and an incredible champion for other victims”.

“Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring,” she said. “The world has lost an amazing human being today.”

“Rest in peace, my sweet angel,” she added.

Follow The World
Follow The World

Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday

Tap to follow

Dini von Mueffling, Ms Giuffre’s representative, also said that “Virginia was one of the most extraordinary human beings I have ever had the honour to know”.

“Deeply loving, wise, and funny, she was a beacon to other survivors and victims,” she added. “She adored her children and many animals.

“She was always more concerned with me than with herself. I will miss her beyond words.

“It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her.”

Ms Giuffre said at the end of March she had four days to live after a car accident, posting on social media that “I’ve gone into kidney renal failure”. She was discharged from hospital eight days later.

Raised mainly in Florida, she said she was abused by a family friend early in life, which led to her living on the streets at times as a teenager.

She said that in 2000, she met Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite who was convicted in 2021 on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Undated handout photo issued by US Department of Justice of Ghislaine Maxwell with Jeffrey Epstein, which has been shown to the court during the sex trafficking trial of Maxwell in the Southern District of New York. The British socialite is accused of preying on vulnerable young girls and luring them to massage rooms to be molested by Epstein between 1994 and 2004. Issue date: Wednesday December 8, 2021.
Image:
Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein. Pic: US Department of Justice

Ms Giuffre said Maxwell then introduced her to Epstein and hired her as his masseuse, and said she was sex trafficked and sexually abused by him and associates around the world.

‘A survivor’

After meeting her husband in 2002, while taking massage training in Thailand at what she said was Epstein’s behest, she moved to Australia and had a family.

She founded the sex trafficking victims’ advocacy charity SOAR in 2015, and is quoted on its website as saying: “I do this for victims everywhere.

“I am no longer the young and vulnerable girl who could be bullied. I am now a survivor, and nobody can ever take that away from me.”

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

Continue Reading

US

Trump met with Zelenskyy ahead of Pope’s funeral

Published

on

By

Trump met with Zelenskyy ahead of Pope's funeral

Donald Trump has met Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of the Pope’s funeral, Vatican sources have told Sky News.

The US and Ukrainian presidents had a “very productive discussion”, according to a White House Official, and have also agreed to hold further talks after the service.

They are among world leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, who are attending the funeral of Pope Francis.

Follow live updates: Zelenskyy among world leaders joining thousands of mourners

There was applause from some of those gathered in St Peter’s Square when the Ukrainian leader walked out.

The former British ambassador to Russia Sir Tony Brenton said the event presents diplomatic opportunities, including the “biggest possible meeting” between Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy.

U.S President Donald Trump attends the funeral Mass of Pope Francis, at the Vatican, April 26, 2025. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
Image:
Trump and Zelenskyy meet for first time since Oval Office row. Pic: Reuters

He told Sky News it could mark “an important step” in starting the peace process between Russia and Ukraine, and is their first face-to-face meeting after a very public row between the presidents at the White House in February.

More on Ukraine

The bilateral meeting comes after Mr Trump’s peace negotiator Steve Witkoff held talks with Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.

They discussed “the possibility of resuming direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine”, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said.

Russia and Ukraine have not held direct talks since the early weeks of the war, which began in February 2022.

Mr Trump has claimed a deal to end the war is “very close” and has urged Mr Zelenskyy to “get it done” in a post on his Truth Social platform.

He has previously warned both sides his administration would walk away from its efforts to achieve a peace if the two sides do not agree a deal soon.

Meanwhile, the Polish Armed Forces said a Russian military helicopter violated its airspace over the Baltic Sea on Friday evening, in a post on X.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Continue Reading

US

Donald Trump says Russia and Ukraine are ‘very close to a deal’ – and says ‘two sides should now meet’

Published

on

By

Donald Trump says Russia and Ukraine are 'very close to a deal' - and says 'two sides should now meet'

Donald Trump has said Russia and Ukraine are “very close to a deal” with “most of the major points agreed” – as he called for the two sides to meet.

Shortly after arriving in Rome for Pope Francis’s funeral, the US president said high-level officials should now meet to “finish [the deal] off”.

“A good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off’.

“Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Ukraine-Russia peace talks explained

Throughout the week, the US president has criticised both Ukraine and Russia for failing to agree to a peace deal.

On Wednesday, he accused Mr Zelenskyy of harming talks on Truth Social, saying “the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE”.

More on Donald Trump

A day later, after nine people were killed in Kyiv after a Russian missile and drone strike, Mr Trump said: “Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the Peace Deal DONE!”

The president and other officials have also threatened to withdraw from negotiations if no progress is made toward a deal.

It comes after Mr Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss a US-brokered peace plan for Ukraine.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Putin-Witkoff meeting

The talks allowed Russia and the United States to “further bring their positions closer together” on “a number of international issues”, a Kremlin aide said.

Speaking earlier on the flight to Italy, Mr Trump said he hadn’t been fully briefed on Mr Witkoff and Mr Putin’s meeting – but added it was a “pretty good meeting”.

Read more:
US and Russia talks moving in ‘right direction’, top diplomat says
A ‘barbaric’ 24 hours in a ‘horrendous’ war

Russia and Ukraine have not held direct talks since the early weeks of the war, which began in February 2022.

Ukraine has repeatedly said it would not accept a deal conceding land or handing over sovereignty to Russia.

However, Mr Trump said in an interview with TIME magazine that “Crimea will stay with Russia,” describing the region as a place where Moscow has “had their submarines” and “the people speak largely Russian”.

“Zelenskyy understands that, and everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time,” he added. “It’s been with them long before Trump came along.”

When asked on Friday about Mr Trump’s comments, Mr Zelenskyy did not want to comment but repeated that recognising occupied Ukrainian territory as Russian is a red line.

Continue Reading

Trending