A man who dialed 911 from inside a bank branch where he said he killed five women is being held without bond on five counts of premeditated murder.
Twenty-one-year-old Zephen Xaver was appointed a public defender during a brief court appearance in Highlands County on Thursday morning. He wore a black-and-white striped prison uniform.
Sebring police say Xaver called them from inside the SunTrust Bank branch in central Florida Wednesday to report that he had opened fire. He barricaded himself inside and when negotiations failed, the SWAT team burst in, capturing Xaver and discovering the bodies.
The victims were not immediately identified.
Police say Xaver did not appear to target the victims or intended to rob the bank.
Police said the incident was confined to the bank and that there was "no danger to the surrounding area."
JUST IN: Gunman inside SunTrust Bank surrenders to police in Sebring, Florida, officials say; the police department said on its Facebook page that the gunman told police that he had fired shots in the bank https://t.co/oXTpyaD2be pic.twitter.com/iflx3qz5dv
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 23, 2019
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
