The shooter is also dead, Louisville Metro Police Deputy Chief Col. Paul Humphrey said.
At least two police officers were shot during the exchange, Humphrey said.
Of the at least eight people transported to a hospital, two are in critical condition, according to Humphrey.
One of those two is a police officer who is currently in surgery, he said.
Police are working to identify all victims, Humphrey said.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said he is “devastated” following the news of the shooting in Louisville.
“Elaine and I are devastated by the news coming out of Louisville this morning. Thank you to LMPD and our first responders for your bravery at the scene. We send our prayers to the victims, their families, and the city of Louisville as we await more information,” he tweeted Monday.
Sen. Rand Paul, also a Kentucky Republican, tweeted about the shooting.
“Kelley and I are praying for everyone involved in the deadly shooting in downtown Louisville this morning. Our hearts break for the families of those lost,” he said.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said that he lost friends in today’s mass shooting at a Louisville bank.
“This is awful. I have a very close friend that didn’t make it today, and I have another close friend that didn’t either,” Beshear said during a news conference Monday morning.
He said he has another friend that was injured “that I hope is going to make it through.”
Beshear said that the bank where the shooting occurred is his bank.
Police believe the “lone gunman” in the Louisville shooting “did have a connection to the bank,” where at least four were killed.
While authorities work to establish that connection, they said it appears he was a previous employee, according to a police briefing.
Police responded within three minutes of the call this morning and encountered the suspect “almost immediately,”
Louisville Metro Police Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey said at a press briefing. The suspect was still firing gunshots, the chief said.
Police exchanged fire with the shooter who died at the scene, he added.
Police are trying to determine whether the shooter died from gunfire or a self-inflicted wound.
The Louisville metro area, located along Kentucky’s border with Indiana, has a population of about 630,000 people as of the 2020 Census.
The 300 block of East Main Street is bordered to the east by the minor league stadium Louisville Slugger Field and includes a bank, a dentist’s office, a furniture store, and the Louisville Ballet.
