Florida man guilty in 2019 fatal shooting of 5 women at bank

By CURT ANDERSON
Associated Press
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man has pleaded guilty to fatally shooting five women at a small-town bank branch in 2019 and will face either life in prison or a death sentence during the penalty phase next year. Court records show 25-year-old Zephen Xaver entered guilty pleas Tuesday to five counts of first-degree murder. He had previously pleaded not guilty, with a trial previously set for January in Sebring, located about 84 miles (135 kilometers) southeast of Tampa. Now, a Highlands County judge has set the penalty portion of the case to begin Jan. 16, 2024. Killed were four employees of a SunTrust Bank branch and one customer.
