Five people were killed when a man opened fire Wednesday at a Florida bank, which led to a standoff that ended when a SWAT team entered the building, according to authorities.
Zephen Xaver, 21, surrendered to a Highlands County Sheriff's Office SWAT team following the shooting at a SunTrust Bank in Sebring, a joint statement from the sheriff's office and the Sebring Police Department said. An investigation into Xaver's motives for the shooting is still ongoing.
Police responded to the bank just after 12:30 p.m. after a man called dispatch, saying, "I have shot five people," authorities said. A perimeter was set up around the bank, and the sheriff's SWAT team entered the building to check on victims after Xaver had barricaded himself inside.
Eventually, crisis negotiators, dispatchers and SWAT members were able to persuade Xaver to surrender, police said.
“I have been in law enforcement all of my adult life and this horrific incident shocks and angers me more than anything I have encountered in my career," Sheriff Paul Blackman said. "While we still don’t know what drove the suspect to commit this heinous act, there is no excuse that can justify the cold-blooded murder of multiple victims."
There were only five people in the bank at the time of the shooting, and the victims' identities have not been released. Sebring is south of Orlando and east of Sarasota.
“This has been a tragic day for our community," Sebring police Chief Karl Hoglund. "We’ve suffered a significant loss at the hands of a senseless criminal doing a senseless crime,” Sebring Police Chief Karl Hoglund said. “This is something that you hope will never happen anywhere, much less in your hometown. We will continue to investigate and work to see that the victims and their families are taken care of and that they receive the justice they deserve.”
