‘No information’ on motive in Sebring bank shooting that killed 5 women, cops say
Police say they do not know why five women were shot and killed inside a Florida bank, but the man arrested in connection with the shooting has been charged with murder and will be held in jail without bond.
Zephen Xaver, 21, appeared before a judge via video conference Thursday morning facing five counts of murder. The judge ordered Xaver be held without bond.
Sebring Police Chief Karl Hoglund said in a news conference Thursday they have no information as to what Xaver’s motive may have been. He said they believe it was a random act and no one was specifically targeted.
The victims were found lying face down, shot and shell casings from Xaver’s 9mm handgun were on the floor, the Associated Press reported, citing an affidavit.
All five people killed in the shooting were women — four were bank employees and the fifth was a customer, according to police.
Some of the victims’ families requested their loved ones’ names not be released. Hoglund honored their request and released only the identities of a bank employee, Marisol Lopez, and the customer, Cynthia Watson.
Xaver went into the SunTrust Bank with a gun and “overtook the bank by force” and shot everyone inside, according to Hoglund. There was no information that a bank robbery occurred, he said.
Sebring police said they were contacted by Xaver just after 12:30 p.m. Wednesday; Xaver told police he fired shots inside the SunTrust Bank, 1901 U.S. 27 South.
The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team tried to negotiate with the subject, who was barricaded inside the bank and who police later identified as Xaver, but were not successful, according to police.
Hoglund said the SWAT team made a tactical entrance into the bank when Xaver would not allow authorities inside. WFLA News Channel 8 reported a witness said the SWAT team drove through the doors.
“At first (SWAT) hooked some cables up to (the bank door), tried to rip the doors off. The door handles came right off. Then they just drove the SWAT machine right through the door,” witness Stefan Roehrig told WFLA.
Xaver eventually surrendered to the SWAT team.
There is surveillance video being reviewed by investigators, Hoglund said.
Hoglund said in a Wednesday afternoon news conference at least five people were “senselessly murdered.” Police said they were the only five people in the bank at the time of the incident.
SunTrust CEO and Chairman Bill Rogers sent this statement to WFLA on Wednesday:
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic shooting at our Sebring, Florida, branch this afternoon. We are working with law enforcement officials and dedicating ourselves to supporting the people and families impacted by this horrible and senseless tragedy. Our entire team mourns this terrible loss.”
According to the Associated Press, Xaver was a former prison guard trainee who had moved from Indiana to Florida. Citing Florida Department of Corrections, the AP reported Xaver was hired as a trainee prison guard at Avon Park Correctional Institution. He resigned from the position on Jan. 9, just two months after he was hired on Nov. 2. The AP reports no disciplinary issues.
News of the shooting rocked the community, Sebring Mayor John Shoop wrote in a letter to the community.
“As a result, five of our citizens lost their lives. Their loss weighs heavy on our hearts and we cannot imagine the pain their families and friends are feeling. We are a small, close-knit county. We live in a wonderful area and tragedies like this are not supposed to happen here. The world continues to change however, and events take place that simply have no explanation,” Shoop wrote.
“Acts like this cannot deter us from living our lives freely from fear and deprivation. We need to continue to work together as a reminder of who we are and why we live here. We need to reach out with prayer and love for the victims and their families. The path turned dark today, but as we move on we will grow stronger.”
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and her office are on-site and providing assistance to victims’ families and law enforcement.
The investigation is ongoing and the crime scene was still considered active Thursday.
This story was originally published January 24, 2019 at 10:22 AM.