Lee County Sheriff's Office equipment at the scene of the bank robbery attempt and hostage incident.Lee County SO
A Fort Myers, Florida, bank robbery and hostage incident ended Tuesday when a Lee County Sheriff’s Office SWAT sniper shot and killed the suspect. Sheriff Carmine Marceno said the suspect was holding a female hostage in a “headlock” and threatening her with a knife when the sniper took the shot.
The incident began shortly after 11 a.m. when a man tried to rob a Bank of America in the Bell Tower Shops area, the sheriff said during a press conference at the scene.
Lee County Sheriff’s deputies and the FBI responded to the bank robbery and hostage situation. As law enforcement entered the building, multiple hostages ran out, Marceno said. Two hostages remained in the bank.
The sheriff described the scene as “chaotic” and said responding deputies “used all of our technologies,” including a robot dog, electronic surveillance, and drones. They also began to negoiate with the suspect.
The suspect “claimed to have a bomb,” Marceno said.
After the suspect was fatally shot, both hostages were rescued. They were not injured and both are now safe, the sheriff said.
The deceased suspect has been identified by authorities as 36-year-old Sterling Ramon Alavache.
Sheriff Marceno praised the performance of his deputies and other law enforcement officers during the incident.
“This [incident] is exactly what we will not tolerate,” Marceno said.
