ABC News January 24, 2019

5 dead in shooting at Florida bank, suspect in custody: Police

WATCH: 5 dead in shooting at Florida bank, suspect in custody: Police

Five people were killed when a gunman opened fire in a SunTrust Bank in Sebring, Florida, on Wednesday, police said.

The 21-year-old suspect, Zephan Xaver, barricaded himself inside before later surrendering to authorities, police said.

The suspect had contacted authorities and told them that he fired shots inside the bank, sending officers rushing to the scene around 12:30 p.m., the Sebring Police Department said.

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"I have shot five people," Xaver allegedly told 911 dispatchers, according to a joint statement released by the Highland County Sheriff's Office and Sebring Police Department.

Highlands County Sheriff's Office
Zephen Xaver, 21, is pictured in a booking photo released by the Highlands County Sheriff's Office on Jan. 23, 2019.

Xaver had been hired by Avon Park Correctional Institution on Nov. 2 and was training to be a correctional officer when he resigned on Jan. 9, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. Xaver had no disciplinary incidents while employed with the department.

Highlands County Sheriff
Shooting suspect Zephen Xaver is escorted by law enforcement in a video shared by the Highlands County Sheriff's Office in Florida, Jan. 23, 2019.

Negotiations to get the barricaded suspect to leave weren't successful, police said, so a SWAT team was sent in. Negotiations then continued, police said, and the "suspect eventually surrendered."

Stefan Roehrig
Video shared on social media shows a man being led out of a SunTrust branch in Sebring, Fla., after a shooting on Jan. 23, 2019.
Xavier Mascarenas/Treasure Coast News via USA Today Network
Five people were killed, Jan. 23, 2019, at a SunTrust Bank branch in Sebring, Fla., after a man identified as Zephen Xaver entered the building and began shooting.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted, "Please continue to keep the victims and their families in your prayers."

WFTS
First responders are seen outside a SunTrust bank branch in Sebring, Fla., after reports of a shooting on Jan. 23, 2019.
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Police said the situation was "confined to the bank and there is no danger to the surrounding area."

Sebring is located about 90 miles south of Orlando.

SunTrust CEO Bill Rogers said in a statement, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic shooting at our Sebring, Florida branch this afternoon."

"We are working with officials and dedicating ourselves to fully addressing the needs of all the individuals and families involved," Rogers said. "Our entire team mourns this terrible loss."

Chris O'Meara/AP
Law enforcement officials stand out in front of a SunTrust Bank branch, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019, in Sebring, Fla.
Highlands News-Sun
Police respond to the scene of a shooting in a SunTrust bank branch in Sebring, Fla., Jan. 23, 2019.

ABC News' Rachel Katz contributed to this report.