Hailey Johnson
On January 24, 2019, 21-year-old Zephen Xaver shot and killed five people at a SunTrust Bank branch in Sebring, Florida. The victims were found lying face down in the lobby with gunshot wounds to the backs of their heads and upper torsos. Four of the victims were bank employees, and one was a customer, Cynthia Watson. The shooter called 911 on himself and told dispatchers that he had killed everyone in the bank.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of incident | 24 January 2019 |
| Location | Sebring, Florida |
| Shooter | Zephen Xaver |
| Age of shooter | 21 |
| Victims | 5 people |
| Gender of victims | All women |
| Victim's occupation | 4 bank employees and 1 customer |
| Identified victims | Cynthia Watson (customer), Marisol Lopez (employee) |
| Shooter's weapon | 9 mm handgun |
| Shooter's vest | Bulletproof |
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What You'll Learn
Zephen Xaver, the 21-year-old suspect
Xaver lived in Bremen, Indiana, and had recently moved to Sebring, Florida, with his mother. He had worked as a correctional officer trainee at the Avon Park Correctional Institution but resigned in January 2019, just weeks before the shooting. According to Florida Department of Corrections records, he was hired in November 2018.
Xaver's social media presence was sparse, but he appeared to be a Japanese anime fan and had an interest in gun-related video games and Goth-style music. His Facebook page, which is no longer publicly available, featured the grim reaper as its profile picture at one point.
Xaver's father, Josh Xaver, described him as a "good kid" who had "troubles" but had "never hurt anyone before." However, a former classmate, Alex Gerlach, claimed that Xaver "always hated people and wanted everybody to die." Gerlach also stated that Xaver had purchased a gun recently, but no one thought much of it due to his interest in firearms.
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The victims: Cynthia Watson and Marisol Lopez
Cynthia Watson, 65, was a customer at the SunTrust Bank in Sebring, Florida, when she was shot and killed. She had married her partner of five years, Tony Watson, just weeks before her death. The couple lived in Venus, Florida, with their pets, and friends remembered Watson as an animal lover. Her husband said she was "very hard-working" and that she "took care of everyone".
Marisol Lopez, 55, was a mother of two and one of four SunTrust Bank employees killed in the shooting. She had been working at SunTrust since 1998. Lopez taught Sunday school and sang in the choir at her church, Nuevo Pacto.
The shooter, Zephen Xaver, was 21 years old and had no apparent connection to any of his victims. He was charged with five counts of first-degree murder. Authorities said the attack appeared to be a random act.
Xaver was hired as a trainee prison guard at Avon Park Correctional Institution in November 2021 but resigned in January 2022, just weeks before the shooting. He lived about four miles from the bank.
A former classmate of Xaver's told WSBT-TV that he "always hated people and wanted everybody to die". Xaver had also been expelled from school after telling a counsellor about a dream in which he killed his classmates.
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The gunman's history of violent behaviour
The gunman, Zephen Allen Xaver, had a history of violent behaviour and a fascination with guns. He had previously been a trainee prison guard at Avon Park Correctional Institution but resigned two weeks before the shooting.
Xaver had a long history of mental health issues, psychotic episodes, and violent impulses. In 2014, while at high school in Indiana, he told a counsellor about his dream of killing his classmates and was expelled from school. He also told a counsellor about his desire to kill and had been threatening to act on these desires for a long time.
Xaver's friend, Alex Gerlach, told WSBT-TV that he "always hated people and wanted everybody to die". Gerlach also said that Xaver's purchase of a gun a week before the shooting did not raise any alarms as he had always liked guns.
On the day of the shooting, Xaver texted his girlfriend that he was going to die and that he was going to kill people to know how it would feel. He forced the five women inside the bank to lie down on the floor and then shot them execution-style. After the shooting, he called 911 and told dispatchers that he had killed everyone in the bank.
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The SWAT callout and arrest
SWAT teams were called out to the Sebring SunTrust Bank shooting in the hopes that authorities could assume responsibility for the scene. The shooter, 21-year-old Zephen Xaver, had overtaken the bank by force and shot five people. Four were bank employees and one was a customer. After shooting them, Xaver called 911 himself and confessed to the crime.
Units from the Highlands County Sheriff's Office arrived at the bank, with Sebring Police Department units responding two minutes later. Crisis negotiators were also on the scene.
During crisis negotiations, it became apparent that Xaver was not willing to allow law enforcement authorities access to the victims in the bank. The Highlands County Sheriff's Office SWAT team then entered the bank at the request of Sebring Police Chief Karl Hoglund. They crashed through the front doors in an armored SWAT vehicle.
After securing the scene, authorities located Xaver in a rear office. He was wearing a bulletproof vest and had a 9mm handgun. They took him into custody, and immediately began assessing the victims, who had all succumbed to their injuries.
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The victims' causes of death
On 24 January 2019, 21-year-old Zephen Xaver walked into a SunTrust Bank branch in Sebring, Florida, and shot dead everyone inside. Xaver was arrested for killing five people—four bank employees and one customer. Sebring Police Chief Karl Hoglund described the incident as a "random act", and authorities stated that there were no signs of a robbery, nor did the shooter appear to know any of his victims.
The victims were found lying face down in the lobby with gunshot wounds to the backs of their heads and upper torsos. They had all succumbed to their injuries inside the bank. Two victims were identified during a news conference: customer Cynthia Watson and bank employee Marisol Lopez. The other three victims' names were withheld at the request of their families.
After shooting them, Xaver called 911 on himself and told dispatchers that he had killed everyone in the bank. He was found by authorities in a rear office, wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a 9mm handgun. He has since been charged with five counts of first-degree murder.
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Frequently asked questions
No, not everyone died. However, five people were killed by Zephen Xaver in a shooting at a SunTrust Bank branch in Florida.
The victims were identified as customer Cynthia Watson and bank employee Marisol Lopez. The names of the other three victims, who were all female bank employees, were withheld at the request of their families.
No, authorities stated that the shooter did not appear to know any of his victims.
The shooting appears to have been a random act, with no signs of robbery. Zephen Xaver had a history of violent fantasies and had previously been expelled from school for threatening to kill his classmates.
Zephen Xaver was arrested and charged with five counts of first-degree murder. He was located by authorities in a rear office of the bank and taken into custody.
