LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- It has been one month since five people were killed and several were injured in a mass shooting in downtown Louisville.

The officers from the Louisville Metro Police Department's First Division were the initial ones on the scene of the mass shooting. On Wednesday, they got a big thank you from a Hollywood celebrity.

"We knew immediately that this was a really serious situation," LMPD Maj. Shannon Lauder said.

Lauder and her officers were first on the scene of the mass shooting at Old National Bank last month.

"We've been getting letters and cards from kids, from people, somebody sent some stamps from their stamp collection," Lauder said.

This was another show of support as actor Gary Sinise honored the officers. Sinise made a name for himself as Lt. Dan in "Forrest Gump."

But his real-life passion is helping veterans and first responders.

"So, Gary obviously had his breakout with Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump in 1994 but Gary has been a humanitarian for four decades now," Nick Wicksman, with the Gary Sinise Foundation, said.

Representatives from the Gary Sinise Foundation brought lunch to the officers. 

"As far as Gary is concerned in the Gary Sinise Foundation, there's just something different about feeding the individuals and shaking their hand," Wicksman said.

The foundation also donated $10,000 to the Louisville Metro Police Foundation.

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The Gary Sinise Foundation honored LMPD's First Division on May 10, 2023.

"That $10,000 is going to make a huge impact for our LMPD officers and their families," Rebecca Grignon-Reker, executive director of the police foundation, said.

Grignon-Reker said the donation will help support the organization's mission. After leaving LMPD's First Division, the Gary Sinise Foundation made two more stops in Louisville.

"Obviously my favorite program that we have is our officer in distress fund which helps individual officers and their families in the event of a catastrophic event or injury," Grignon-Reker said.

Officer Nick Wilt was recently taken off of the ventilator and all life-sustaining equipment after being shot in the head while responding to the mass shooting.

On Wednesday, LMPD said Wilt has began the rehabilitation process. Lauder is still confident his fellow officers won't hesitate to answer the next call. 

"They'll do the same they do every day," Lauder said. "They will run towards danger when everybody else runs away."

The five bank employees killed in the shooting were Joshua Barrick, 40, a senior vice president; Deana Eckert, 57, an executive administrative officer; Tommy Elliott, 63, also a senior vice president; Juliana Farmer, 45, a loan analyst; and Jim Tutt Jr., 64, a commercial real estate market executive.

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