A suspected gunman was taken into custody Wednesday following a deadly mass shooting at a Florida bank.
CNN reports the suspect—identified as 21-year-old Zephen Xaver—stormed the SunTrust bank in Highlands County, at around 12:30 p.m. ET. Law enforcement say the gunman killed at least five people before surrendering to the SWAT team.
"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 during a Wednesday press conference.
According to Sebring Police Department's Facebook page, the gunman called police at 12:37 p.m. local time, claiming he had carried out a deadly shooting. Law enforcement arrived on the scene minutes later and established a perimeter around the bank. The department announced that there were only five people inside the building before the gunman entered.
"I am heartbroken that this horrendous incident has occurred in our county," Sheriff Paul Blackman said. "I pray for the victims, their families and our community. This tragedy will have a lasting impact on Highlands County and likely this community will never be the same."
The victims' identities have not been confirmed. The gunman's motives are also unknown at this time.
Stay tuned as more details about the shooting become available.
Wednesday's tragedy marked Florida's seventh mass shooting over the last three years. The latest occured in November 2018 at a Tallahassee yoga studio, where a gunman shot six women, leaving two dead.
