Florida sniper sends attempted bank robber to the hereafter with a well-placed shot: 'A chaotic scene'

A convicted felon claiming to have a bomb held up a bank and took two hostages Tuesday in Fort Myers, Florida. When negotiations failed and the suspect appeared ready to slash a woman's throat, a SWAT sniper restored order with a well-placed shot.

Shortly after 11 a.m., the Lee County Sheriff's Office received a report of a robbery in progress with multiple hostages at the Bank of America in Bell Tower. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said during a press briefing Tuesday, "It was a chaotic scene."

A man armed with a knife and claiming to have a bomb reportedly stormed the bank and leaped over the counter. The suspect has been identified as 36-year-old Sterling Ramon Alavache.

The LCSO indicated that Alavache is a convicted felon with an extensive criminal history, including drug trafficking, aggravated assault, and unlawfully carrying a concealed firearm in various states. WZVN-TV noted that Alavache had three prior arrests just in Charlotte County.

With the support of the FBI, the LCSO pulled out all the stops to resolve the incident, deploying a robotic dog, a SWAT team, electronics surveillance, and drones.

"A group of deputies immediately went into that building ... and began to — as people, dozens of people ran out — they began to secure all other portions of the building while simultaneously hostage negotiations began with our suspect," said Marceno.

Deputies attempted to negotiate with Alavache until he reportedly began to rough up the hostages.

Marceno said that "at one point during negotiations he became physical. He started to put one of the hostages in like a headlock and he had the knife to her throat. SWAT team was in place. When he presented deadly force like that, our SWAT sniper shot and killed the suspect. We were in fear for her life and safety."

Both hostages and all deputies apparently escaped the ordeal unscathed.

Authorities did not confirm whether or not Alavache did in fact have an explosive device on his person.

"It's a sad day when innocent lives are placed in jeopardy due to the senseless acts of others," the sheriff said in a subsequent statement. "My family members were faced with a tough decision today to neutralize an active threat to the public, during a very volatile situation. Let this serve as a reminder of how important it is to remain vigilant."

The LCSO confirmed to WZVN that the sniper who made the lethal shot at the bank has been placed on administrative leave per protocol.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!