Five people were killed when a gunman opened fire in a SunTrust Bank in Sebring, Florida, on Wednesday, police said.
The 21-year-old suspect, Zephen Xaver, barricaded himself inside before later surrendering to authorities, police said.
The suspect had contacted authorities and told them that he fired shots inside the bank, sending officers rushing to the scene around 12:30 p.m., the Sebring Police Department said.
“I have shot five people,” Xaver allegedly told 911 dispatchers, according to a joint statement released by the Highland County Sheriff’s Office and Sebring Police Department.
Xaver had been hired by Avon Park Correctional Institution on Nov. 2 and was training to be a correctional officer when he resigned on Jan. 9, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. Xaver had no disciplinary incidents while employed with the department.
MORE: Suspect identified in shooting at Florida bank; at least five people were killed in the incident. https://t.co/YW6WeVsf4o pic.twitter.com/nsigVj9WRz
— ABC News (@ABC) January 23, 2019
Negotiations to get the barricaded suspect to leave weren’t successful, police said, so a SWAT team was sent in. Negotiations then continued, police said, and the “suspect eventually surrendered.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted, “Please continue to keep the victims and their families in your prayers.”
Police said the situation was “confined to the bank and there is no danger to the surrounding area.”
Sebring is located about 90 miles south of Orlando.
SunTrust CEO Bill Rogers said in a statement, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic shooting at our Sebring, Florida branch this afternoon.”
“We are working with officials and dedicating ourselves to fully addressing the needs of all the individuals and families involved,” Rogers said. “Our entire team mourns this terrible loss.”
I have spent lots of time in Sebring over the decades…nice little town. I noticed in the MSM coverage that they made sure to mention that Sebring is only 150 miles from Parkland and then gave Hogg a voice in the article. My first thought was, which SSRI’s is this kid on, and for how long. Guess they’ll never suggest that we’re being poisoned by Big Pharma.
This story stinks all the way around… a big…HHHmmmmm