Five people shot dead in Florida bank, suspect arrested
A gunman fatally shot five people in a Florida bank Wednesday afternoon before surrendering to police, authorities said.
Zephen Xaver, 21, allegedly opened fire inside a SunTrust branch in Sebring — about 90 miles southeast of Tampa — around 12:30 p.m., officials said in a somber evening news conference.
“Today’s been a tragic day in our community,” said Sebring police Chief Karl Hoglund. “We’ve suffered significant loss at the hands of a senseless criminal doing a senseless crime.”
It was not immediately clear whether the victims were customers, employees or included some of both.
Also unclear was what prompted Xaver to open fire inside the bank, kicking off a massive police response.
Roads were shut down and nearby schools were briefly put on lockdown as hordes of law enforcement descended on the scene, but the incident was contained to the bank.
With helicopters hovering overhead and armored vehicles waiting in the wings, SWAT negotiators tried in vain to coax Xaver out of the bank, and moved in when he refused, the department said.
As cops closed in, Xaver surrendered and is in police custody.
Via New York Post