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oberliner

(58,724 posts) Sun Jan 27, 2019, 04:36 AM Jan 2019

Police say Florida bank attack that killed 5 was random act

SEBRING, Fla. (AP) — Investigators have found no obvious reason why a man accused of fatally shooting five women picked a small-town bank in Florida as the place to carry out his attack, authorities said Thursday.

Zephen Xaver's attack did not appear to be part of a robbery, and he had no apparent connection to the SunTrust branch or the four employees and one customer who were killed, police said.

There was also no evidence that Wednesday's attack was planned, although a former girlfriend said Xaver often talked of killing people.

"We believe it was a random act," Sebring Police Chief Karl Hoglund said Thursday at a news conference. "Aside from perhaps driving by and seeing it was a bank, we have no known evidence that he targeted this bank for any particular reason."

https://1010wins.radio.com/articles/ap-news/police-say-florida-bank-attack-killed-5-was-random-act

4 replies

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Police say Florida bank attack that killed 5 was random act (Original Post) oberliner Jan 2019 OP

Ex-girlfriend: warnings he 'hated people' were ignored struggle4progress Jan 2019 #1

"He didn't like people at all" struggle4progress Jan 2019 #2

Suspect showed warning signs struggle4progress Jan 2019 #3

He should never have had access to guns malaise Jan 2019 #4

struggle4progress

(118,273 posts)

1. Ex-girlfriend: warnings he 'hated people' were ignored

Reply to oberliner (Original post)

Sun Jan 27, 2019, 04:43 AM

Jan 2019

A gunman who took over a SunTrust Bank branch in Florida apparently made the five women inside lie down on the lobby floor before shooting them in the backs of their heads, police said on Thursday ...

The shootings were not a shock to Alex Gerlach, who identified herself as Xaver’s former girlfriend. She said he’s long been fascinated with the idea of killing, but no one took her warnings about him seriously ...

“He got kicked out of school for having a dream that he killed everybody in his class, and he’s been threatening this for so long, and he’s been having dreams about it and everything,” she said.

“Every single person I’ve told has not taken it seriously, and it’s very unfortunate that it had to come to this” ...

https://www.news.com.au/world/north-america/florida-gunmans-exgirlfriend-claims-her-warnings-that-he-hated-people-were-ignored/news-story/86aba9b188187d5bbd81169f5ad0b012

struggle4progress

(118,273 posts)

2. "He didn't like people at all"

Reply to oberliner (Original post)

Sun Jan 27, 2019, 04:44 AM

Jan 2019

PLYMOUTH, Ind. (WNDU) ... The man did not want to be identified but said Xaver revealed to him that he had dreams of killing classmates and even cannibalism.

"He didn't like people at all. Clearly, he just wanted everyone to go away," the man said.

He said he met Zephen at a behavioral facility in Plymouth when they were children, and he knew him for a short time before leaving the facility himself.

He remembered Zephen as "very volatile and obsessed" with dangerous fantasies. One of those thoughts included Zephen going out on the street and stabbing the first person he saw ...

https://www.wndu.com/content/news/He-didnt-like-people-at-all-Man-who-knew-Florida-shooting-suspect-Zephen-Xaver--504874311.html

struggle4progress

(118,273 posts)

3. Suspect showed warning signs

Reply to oberliner (Original post)

Sun Jan 27, 2019, 04:46 AM

Jan 2019

Posted: Fri 5:56 AM, Jan 25, 2019 | Updated: Fri 6:41 PM, Jan 25, 2019

... officers were called to Bremen High School to talk to Xaver in 2014. He was 16 at the time. School administrators informed police after Xaver said he had a dream about killing other students inside a classroom.

Xaver's mother was asked to transport him to a mental health facility.

Documents also reveal an incident in 2017. A girl called Michigan State Police after Xaver messaged her talking about suicide by cop and taking hostages.

The documents also list other interactions with mental health facilities ...

https://www.wndu.com/content/news/Records-reveal-2014-police-call-ab-504853262.html

malaise

(268,882 posts)

4. He should never have had access to guns

Reply to struggle4progress (Reply #3)

Sun Jan 27, 2019, 08:22 AM

Jan 2019

That simple

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