Police have named the gunman who stormed into a Florida bank and killed five people as 21 year-old Zephen Xaver.

Xaver is accused of bursting into the Sun Trust bank in Sebring, central Florida, around 12:30pm Wednesday and opening fire.

He killed at least five people, police say, with Sebring Police Chief Karl Hoglund warning others injured in the massacre could still die.

Zephen Xaver, 21, has been accused of storming into a SunTrust bank in Sebring, Florida, and shooting five people dead (Picture: Facebook)

A screenshot of Xaver’s Facebook page shows he ‘liked’ far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos’ page, as well as one paying tribute to conspiracy theorist Alex Jones (Picture: Facebook)

An armored vehicle is seen arriving at the Sun Trust bank in Sebring, Florida, Wednesday, where 21 year-old Zephen Xaver reportedly shot five people dead (Picture: AP)

Hoglund did not offer a possible motive for the massacre at a press conference Wednesday afternoon, but added: ‘We’ve suffered a significant loss at the hands of a senseless criminal committing a senseless crime.’


Florida Governor Ron De Santis called the mass shooting ‘a terrible day for Florida,’ and vowed to use the full force of the law to bring the shooter to justice. Xaver, who lives in Sebring, is currently in police custody. A mugshot has not yet been released.



A Facebook page which appears to belong to Xaver follows far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos, and other pages including one named ‘Dysfunctional Veterans.’ He is originally from Plymouth, Indiana, and studies at Stevens-Henager College in Utah, which allows students to take classes online.

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It is unclear whether those killed were bank employees or customers visiting at the time.

Relatives of workers were asked to gather at a nearby hotel, with one woman seen collapsing in tears after receiving a phone call.

Xaver reportedly surrendered himself to SWAT teams after dialing 911 to tell them what he had done (Picture: AP)

Police officers at the scene of Wednesday’s bank massacre (Picture: AP)

Reporter Josh Sidorowicz tweeted: ‘Just witnessed a woman walk out of the building while on the phone and drop to the ground crying.

‘She yelled something, clearly in distress. And officer guided her back inside.’

After Xaver’s alleged shooting, he is said to have dialed 911 to tell cops what he had done.

That saw sheriff’s deputies and a SWAT team dispatched to the bank, with Xaver later surrendering to officers.

Helicopter footage showed the front of the building badly damaged afterwards, with its windows smashed and metal frames littering the ground.