Few details about Xaver, who had recently been in training to become a prison guard, and the shooting have been released so far. The incident occurred at the SunTrust Bank branch at 1901 US 27 South in Sebring, the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies responded to the shooting along with the Sebring Police Department.
Xaver was hired on November 2, 2018, by the Avon Park Correctional Institution in Highlands County as a correctional officer trainee, WTSP-TV reports. He resigned on January 9, 2019, and had no disciplinary violations on his record while employed by the Florida Department of Corrections, the agency told the news station.
1. Zephen Xaver Entered the Bank & Opened Fire Before Calling 911 to Report That He Had Fired Shots Inside the Building, Police Say
Zephen Xaver entered the bank Wednesday afternoon, opened fire and then called 911 on himself, police say.
“At approximately 12:36 p.m. today, the Sebring Police Department responded to the SunTrust Bank at 1901 US 27 South in Sebring,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release. “A subject contacted dispatch and reported that he had fired shots inside the bank. SPD officers and deputies from the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and established a perimeter. After negotiations to try to get the barricaded subject to exit the bank were not successful, the HCSO SWAT team entered the bank and continued the negotiations. The suspect eventually surrendered to the HCSO SWAT team.”
Sebring Police Chief Karl Hoglund said the suspect, Zephen Xaver, called the region’s consolidated dispatch center and said he had entered the bank and started shooting. Sebring officers responded along with deputies from the sheriff’s office and “established a secure scene and began negotiating with the subject,” Hoglund said. The sheriff’s office used its crisis negotiation team to talk to Xaver.
“While engaged in negotiations I asked the sheriff to send in the tactical unit, their SWAT team, in order to recover potential victims and take the subject into custody. 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,” Hoglund said.
2. Xaver Is a Sebring Resident Originally From Indiana & Has Attended Stevens-Henager College
Zephen Allen Xaver is a Sebring, Florida, resident, police said. According to his Facebook page, Xaver is originally from Plymouth, Indiana, and has also lived in Bremen, Indiana. Xaver’s ex-girlfriend confirmed on her Facebook page that the former Indiana resident is the suspect.
“If anyone has seen the news about my ex killing 5 people. Please do not ask me to talk to you about it. I am devastated,” she wrote. “I’ve been crying so much.”
On Linkedin, Xaver says he is a student at Stevens-Henager College, which is based in Utah, but also allows students to take classes online. He attended Bremen Senior High School and Plymouth High School in Indiana, where he was on the wrestling team.
Xaver is registered to vote in Florida with no party affiliation, records show. His address is listed as Pine Tree Lane in Sebring. He registered to vote on January 7, 2019. Xaver has two younger brothers. His father lives in Indiana. According to WESH-TV, Xaver lives with his mother and stepfather in Sebring. A neighbor told the news station they are a “sweet family.”
Kelly Rippin of WESH tweeted the neighbor, “Added she’s had little interaction w/ the 21-year-old, but when she did he was quiet, responsible, and polite. This neighbor stopped by the house earlier to say bye to the alleged gunman’s mother before she left on a business trip, but did not see Zephen Xaver today at the home.” Xaver’s mother and father have not commented.
Xaver does not appear to have a previous criminal record in Florida or Indiana.
3. A Motive for the Shooting Has Not Been Revealed, but the Sebring Chief Called Xaver a ‘Senseless Criminal Doing a Senseless Crime’
Police have not released a motive for the shooting. Officials had previously stated that it was a bank robbery that turned into a shooting, but police did not confirm those reports at the press conference Wednesday evening.
Sebring Police Karl Hoglund said at the press conference, “Today has been a tragic day in our community, we’ve suffered a significant loss at the hands of a senseless criminal doing a senseless crime.”
Hoglund and other officials did not take questions at the press conference. The chief said, “This is a very dynamic and ongoing investigation. I’m sure several details will come as the investigation continues.”
He did not provide any other information about Xaver.
Sebring Mayor John Shoop earlier told WTSP-TV that the situation appears to have started as a bank robbery.
4. The Governor Says Xaver Needs to ‘Face Swift & Exacting Justice’
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said at the press conference, “This is a terrible day for Sebring, Highlands County and for the state of Florida. The people of Florida stand with the community here in light of this tragic circumstance.”
DeSantis added, “I’ve asked the FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) to provide whatever resources we can at the state level to assist with the investigation and obviously, this is an individual who needs to face very swift and exacting justice. I want to thank both the police department here and the sheriff’s department for responding to the situation. It is fluid, there is a lot going on. But they’re doing a good job and they’re doing what the people of Highlands County expect.”
Sebring, located in Highlands County in central Florida, is a city of about 10,000 people. It is located about two hours south of Orland. SunTrust Bank is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and has 1,400 branches across the southeastern United States.
“We are working closely with officials and seeking to take care of everyone affected,” said Sun Trust’s Chief Communications Officer Sue Mallino said in a statement to CNN. “We will provide more information as soon as we can.”
Schools in the area have returned to normal status. The Kindergarten Learning Center and Fred Wild Elementary were both previously put on “controlled campus” status, authorities said.
“All Controlled Campuses have been lifted. There was never an immediate threat to a school. Student safety will always be our first priority and we thank you for your patience with any delays in dismissals,” the School Board of Highlands County said on Facebook. “PLEASE NOTE that buses may be delayed as there is significant traffic congestion in the Sebring area as a result of the road closure.”
5. State & Local Police Along With the FBI Are Continuing to Investigate the Shooting
The investigation by the state and local police, along with the FBI, is still ongoing.
Sheriff Paul Blackman told reporters, “The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office will continue to work with the Sebring Police Department as well as the FDLE in an attempt to make sure a thorough investigation is done regarding this incident. Currently, we have our investigators, our criminal investigations unit, working alongside the detectives from the Sebring Police Department doing interviews, doing search warrants and conducting crime scene property and evidence collection.”
Blackman said another press conference will be held Thursday morning at 11 a.m. to provide more information as it unfolds. “Hopefully we will have some answers to some of your questions at that point,” Blackman said.
A reunification point has been set up for those whose loved ones were involved in the incident, the sheriff’s office said. “Co-workers and family members of anyone who was at the SunTrust branch during today’s incident should go to Inn on the Lakes. ONLY co-workers and family members please,” the message on the sheriff’s office website stated.
https://heavy.com/news/2019/01/zephen-xaver/
Ragnarok: I just cannot wrap my mind around the level of ego that it takes to randomly walk up to someone and deem their lives and the lives of their families not important.