© 2024 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
At least five killed by gunman who barricaded himself inside a Florida bank
WFLA-TV video screenshot

At least five killed by gunman who barricaded himself inside a Florida bank

The suspect surrendered and is in custody

A hostage situation at a Florida bank resulted in at least five people being fatally shot Wednesday afternoon by a gunman who eventually surrendered and was taken into custody, CNN reported.

The incident occurred at the SunTrust Bank in Sebring, Florida.

"After an assessment of the scene we were sorry to learn that we have at least five victims, people who were senselessly murdered as a result of his act in this bank," Sebring Police Chief Karl Hoglund said at a news conference.

"Today's been a tragic day in our community," Hoglund also said, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "We've suffered a significant loss at the hands of a senseless criminal doing a senseless crime."

What happened?

The situation began around 12:30 p.m. when the suspect reportedly called police to say he had fired shots in the bank.

Sebring Police and the Highlands County Sheriff's Office responded first to the call, and attempted to negotiate with the suspect who had by that point barricaded himself inside the bank. Those negotiations failed, so a SWAT team went in.

The SWAT team was able to successfully convince the suspect to surrender, and police are saying there is no longer any danger to surrounding areas now that the suspect is in custody.

Governor offers support

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made a statement at a news conference Wednesday afternoon, alongside officers who were on the scene.

"The people of Florida stand with the community here in light of this tragic circumstance," DeSantis said. "I've asked FDLE to provide whatever resources we can at the state level to assist with the investigation and, obviously, this is an individual that needs to face very swift and exacting justice.

Want to leave a tip?

We answer to you. Help keep our content free of advertisers and big tech censorship by leaving a tip today.
Want to join the conversation?
Already a subscriber?