Louisville officer shot in head 10 days after graduating from the police academy

Bailey Loosemore and Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY NETWORK
Updated ·3 min read
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Nickolas Wilt, an officer who graduated from the police academy 10 days ago, was shot in the head during the deadly mass shooting Monday morning in Louisville, the city's Interim police chief said.

Wilt, 26, who graduated from the Louisville Metro Police Academy on March 31,ran towards the gunfire to save lives, the police department posted on Facebook Monday. He was later hailed as a hero by his co-workers.

Five people were killed and nine injured during the shooting at an Old National Bank in downtown Louisville. Two police officers, including Wilt, were among the injured.

Wilt remains in critical condition following brain surgery, Interim Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said Monday. "The next few days are important and very critical for Nickolas’ recovery."

"We throw around the term hero, but he's the guy who's going to do the right thing," said Maj. John Luker, who had worked with Wilt at Oldham County EMS before he joined the police recruiting class.  "A co-worker said that term's entitled this time. He earned it."

MAPPING THE INCIDENT: Old National Bank shooting in Louisville kills 5

Nickolas Wilt, 26, graduated from the Louisville Metro Police Department's academy on March 31 and was critically injured during an exchange of gunfire during the mass shooting in Louisville on April 10, the police department said.
Nickolas Wilt, 26, graduated from the Louisville Metro Police Department's academy on March 31 and was critically injured during an exchange of gunfire during the mass shooting in Louisville on April 10, the police department said.

'Actions saved a lot of other lives'

Gwinn-Villaroel said she had just sworn him in as his family watched. Wilt's twin brother is going through the academy now, friends of the family told the Courier-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Police identified bank employee Connor Sturgeon as the shooter. He died during the shooting along with five other people: Thomas "Tommy" Elliott, 63; Josh Barrick, 40; James "Jim" Tutt Jr., 64; Deanna Eckert, 57; and Juliana Farmer, 45.

A second officer injured was released from the University of Louisville Hospital within a few hours, along with two other victims who sustained minor injuries.

An officer and firefighter

Wilt began working as an emergency medical technician for Oldham Emergency Medical Services in March 2021 and was always professional and dependable, Luker said.

He was a team player who always wanted to help where he could. And while "I hated for us to lose him ... knowing what police are going through in Louisville, he's the type of officer they need," Luker said.

"It's unfortunate that it happened," he added about the shooting. "But as tore up as everybody is, we also know those actions saved a lot of other lives. ... We're just so proud of him."

Wilt remained on the roster at Oldham EMS, director Deborah Berry wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.

"He's our hero too," she said. "He came to us a few months ago ... to tell us he was following his dream of becoming an LMPD officer. He knew the risks. He was willing to accept the risks."

"He asked to stay on our roster and promised to come back and work for us part-time," Berry wrote.

LOUISVILLE, KY - APRIL 10: Law enforcement officers respond to an active shooter at the Old National Bank building on April 10, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. According to reports, there are multiple fatalities and injuries. The shooter died at the scene. (Photo by Luke Sharrett/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY - APRIL 10: Law enforcement officers respond to an active shooter at the Old National Bank building on April 10, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. According to reports, there are multiple fatalities and injuries. The shooter died at the scene. (Photo by Luke Sharrett/Getty Images)

LOUISVILLE BANK SHOOTING: What we know about the suspect, motive

Mass killings and shootings involving police officers

One hundred days into 2023, there have been 15 mass killings — shootings in which four or more people were killed, not including the shooter — in the U.S., according to a USA TODAY/Associated Press/Northeastern University database tracking the killings.

Going back to 2006, the first year for which data has been compiled, the years with the most mass killings were 2019 and 2022, with 45 and 42 mass killings recorded during the entire calendar year. The pace in 2009 slowed later in the year, with 32 mass killings recorded that year.

"This is consistent with the overall trend that mass shootings are becoming more frequent," said James Densley, co-founder of the Violence Project, a nonprofit research center.

As of April 3, 99 officers had been shot in the line of duty in the United States since Jan.1, including at least 10 who were fatally wounded, the National Fraternal Order of Police reported.

That number was up 44% from the same time in 2021 and 57% from 2020, the organization reported. And in 2022, at least 331 officers were shot in the line of duty, including 62 who died.

Contributing: Grace Hauck, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Louisville shooting: Officer shot in the head 10 days after graduation