Connor Sturgeon: Family of Louisville shooter to examine his brain for CTE
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY: The family of Louisville shooter Connor Sturgeon wants to get a CTE brain scan to help them understand why he killed five of his coworkers in a workplace shooting spree. The family worries that he might have developed the condition as a result of his high school basketball career, which saw him take so many headshots that he had to play with a soft helmet.
On Monday, April 10, Sturgeon, 25, opened fire on his coworkers at the Old National Bank, killing five people before being shot and killed by police during an incident. Days earlier, he had legally bought an AR-15 weapon, passing background checks despite having just sought help for anxiety and depression. The family of Sturgeon was left wondering why their son had become violent and had bought an AR-15 a week before going on a shooting rampage.
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'The family just wants the truth'
The medical examiner's office tested Sturgeon's brain during the autopsy, and a representative for his family, Peter Palmer, told DailyMail on Friday, April 14, that it will take six to eight weeks to find out whether he had CTE. He said, "His concussion issues have always been of concern to the family, so when all of this happened, certainly there's a question in their minds of could this have played a role."
Palmer continued, "It was not a stretch to wonder that. The family just wants the truth. They have communicated their concerns to the medical examiner and my understanding is that the medical examiner was already thinking similar thoughts," according to DailyMail.
'He was not fired'
Palmer claimed that Sturgeon had no known workplace issues. He mentioned that although officials had at first claimed Sturgeon had been fired from his position, they had now backtracked. His family then discovered that he was working under no danger of termination and was in excellent standing at his job. Palmer stated, "It has been confirmed to us, first, that he was not fired. There was initially that message that he was fired, being fired, about to be fired. The information we have is that all of that is inaccurate." Sturgeon's family claimed before that he had mental health issues, but no indications were found that he was capable of the violence he committed at the bank.
The family stated, "While Connor, like many of his contemporaries, had mental health challenges which we, as a family, were actively addressing, there were never any warning signs or indications he was capable of this shocking act," according to DailyMail. The family added, "While we have many unanswered questions, we will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement officials and do all we can to aid everyone in understanding why and how this happened."
What is CTE?
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain condition brought on by repeated head trauma. The shocks cause the tau protein to build up in the brain over time, which can result in dementia, depression, and other mental health issues. It is a rare condition that can be brought on by frequent concussions and can result in aggressive behavior. This brain illness impairs judgment and is frequent in NFL players.