WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed Wednesday after a shooter opened fire in a bank in the U.S. state of Florida before surrendering to law enforcement officials, according to local police.
"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 told reporters at a press conference.
Multiple people were hurt during the shooting in a SunTrust bank in the town of Sebring. Police surrounded the bank and were able to convince the suspect to surrender, according to local media. It is unclear how many people were wounded.
The suspect was identified as 21-year-old Zephen Xaver, an online student of Salt Lake City-based Stevens-Henager College.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who also attended the press conference, vowed that the suspect would face "swift, exacting justice."
DeSantis, who traveled to Sebring after the shooting, said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement would assist Sebring police in the incident.
Local media reported that an FBI mobile command unit arrived at the bank Wednesday evening to join the investigation.
SunTrust Chairman and CEO Bill Rogers released a short statement after the incident saying "We are working with officials and dedicating ourselves to fully addressing the needs of all the individuals and families involved."
Sebring is in central Florida, about 140 km south of Orlando.
Florida has been marred by mass shootings in recent years. In February 2018, a teenager killed 17 people at a high school in Parkland, and in June 2016, a gunman killed 49 people at a nightclub in Orlando.