Crime & Safety
Indiana Native Arrested In Deadly Florida Bank Shooting
ABC57 in South Bend reported that the suspect, identified by authorities as 21-year-old Zephen Xaver, is from Plymouth.
MARSHALL COUNTY, IN — The man accused of fatally shooting five people at a SunTrust bank in Sebring, Florida, is from Marshall County, Indiana, according to several reports. Sources including ABC57 in South Bend have reported the suspect, identified by authorities as 21-year-old Zephen Xaver of Sebring, is a Plymouth native.
A Marshall County official also confirmed to the news outlet that the suspected gunman attended Plymouth High School.
Patch reported five people were fatally shot at a SunTrust bank branch in Sebring Wednesday after a gunman opened fire, killing everyone inside. Authorities did not immediately release the names of the victims because families were still being notified. The accused gunman — later identified as Xaver — later surrendered after barricading himself inside the branch, according to Sebring police. The branch is located at 1901 US 27 South.
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Sebring Police Chief Karl Hoglund said at a brief press conference that at least five people were "senselessly murdered" when Xaver walked into the bank about 12:37 p.m. and fired multiple gunshots. A man, believed to be Xaver then called the police dispatch center to report the shooting, saying, "I have shot five people."
Police and the Highlands County Sheriff's Office responded to the bank, and a SWAT team entered the branch, crashing an armored vehicle into the storefront. "The suspect eventually surrendered to the HCSO SWAT team," police said.
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Sebring police said there were only five people inside the bank at the time. The sheriff's office later released video of Xaver being led by deputies to booking after undergoing interviews with investigators but then removed it.
The Highlands County Sheriff's Office was planning to hold another press conference at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
>> More details and updates from Across Florida Patch on this breaking story
Paul Scicchitano, Deb Belt and Feroze Dhanoa of the Patch National Staff contributed to this report as did the Associated Press .
Image via Highlands County Sheriff's Office
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