A Florida man, Zephen Allen Xaver, who committed a mass shooting at a SunTrust bank in 2019, has been sentenced to death by Circuit Judge Angela Cowden. The 27-year-old was handed five death sentences, each representing one of the five victims he murdered. The jury had earlier voted 9-3 in favor of the death penalty in June. The victims included four bank employees, Marisol Lopez, Ana Piñon-Williams, Jessica Montague, and Debra Cook, and a customer, Cynthia Lee Watson.
In Florida, a unanimous decision by the jury is not required to impose the death penalty. The daughter of one of the victims, Marisol Lopez, reportedly referred to Xaver as a coward, stating that he would always be a waste of human life.
Family members of the victims expressed their feelings after the jury recommended the death penalty. April Nelson, the daughter of Cynthia Watson, said that while the verdict doesn’t bring her mother back or make things better, it is what Xaver deserves. Similarly, Blanca Piñon, sister of Ana Piñon-Williams, stated that while her family will never fully heal, they are one step closer to closing this chapter.
Marisol Lopez’s husband expressed some sense of closure following the verdict, while Jessica Montaigne’s husband felt a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He described the entire process as an emotional roller coaster.
On January 23, 2019, Xaver, then 21, walked into a SunTrust Bank in Sebring, armed with a 9-millimeter handgun and wearing body armor. He shot and killed four employees and one customer, then called 911 and stayed on the line until law enforcement arrived. The victims were shot execution-style.
Man Sentenced to Death for 2019 SunTrust Bank Mass Shooting
During the trial, prosecutors described Xaver’s actions as “shockingly evil.” Prosecutor Bonde Johnson read from Xaver’s writings in court, which were filled with references to blood, death, and murder. Xaver’s defense attorney, Jane McNeill, argued that he was “broken,” “mentally ill,” and “brain damaged.”