A gunman opened fire this morning (local time) inside a bank in Louisville, Kentucky’s largest city, killing four people and injuring at least eight before taking his own last breath, authorities in the central-eastern US state said. .

“Five people have died in total,” Louisville police said in a tweet. The police account includes the attacker, who is believed to have worked as a bank employee.

Police received a call about the incident around 8:30 a.m. (15:30 Greek time) for a shooting at the Old National Bank branch in the city center. Officers arrived on the scene within the next few minutes, while the suspect “continued to shoot,” city police officer Paul Humphrey said at a news conference.

The attacker died shortly after launching his attack. “We’re still trying to figure out if he shot himself or was killed by police,” Humphrey added.

“We believe he acted alone and had a relationship with the bank,” he added, implying that the attacker either used to work, or is now a bank employee. The research, which has just begun, is expected to answer these questions.

“At least” two police officers were injured in the exchange of fire, with one undergoing surgery at the hospital, Humphrey noted.

“At least four people were found dead inside the bank branch, along with eight (other) people who are being treated at the University Hospital,” he added.

Two of the injured are hospitalized in critical condition, including one of the police officers.

The officers “without a doubt saved lives,” Mayor Craig Greenberg said at a news conference, denouncing “another episode of gun violence.” Greenberg himself survived a shooting incident while at his vacation home last year.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he lost a “very dear friend” in the incident, “and another close friend of mine is among those hospitalized,” he said. At the press conference, he hailed the “heroes” who stepped in to deal with the incident.

Some survivors managed to find shelter inside the bank’s branch vault, according to CNN.