'I don't wanna hurt them': First released 911 call tells Bank of America attacker's exchange
Two days after an armed man entered a Fort Myers bank and said he had a bomb, leading a sniper to fatally strike him, authorities have released the first 911 call.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office on Thursday afternoon released what they say is the first official 911 call from inside the Fort Myers Bank of America where Sterling Ramon Alavache, 36, took hostages by force.
During the roughly two-minute-and-47-second call, a woman said she just entered the bank, her voice shaking.
The caller said she ran out of the Bank of America Bell Tower, 13099 U.S. 41 S.E., when she saw Alavache enter with a "hoodie" and jump over the counter where she was trying to make her deposit.
According to the caller, Alavache held a black square-figured device in his hand and said he had a bomb.
About two minutes into the call, it appears the dispatcher attempted to make contact with the caller, but was unable to. Alavache was audible in the back asking who was there.
"I don't wanna hurt them, alright?" Alavache screamed. "You listen to me, back off."
A witness, Nils Graham, 85, told this news organization he heard Alavache say at least three times, "I need to call my mom," before an employee had asked him to leave.
Graham said Alavache returned about 4 minutes later and threatened patrons and employees, saying he had a bomb.
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Around 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, Bell Tower sent out a text message to store owners and managers, alerting them to an "isolated incident" at the Bank of America.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno on Tuesday afternoon said that as deputies entered the bank, dozens of people who had been held hostage by Alavache ran out, but two remained behind. He said Alavache had a knife to one of their throats.
When Alavache attempted to put one hostage in a headlock, a member of the sheriff's office's SWAT team fired a fatal shot, Marceno said.
Graham said about seven minutes passed by between authorities' arrival and the firing of the lethal shot.
It's unclear how many calls alerted authorities of the incident.
The sheriff's office's sniper who fired the bullet has been placed on administrative leave, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said.
This is the second deadly officer-involved shooting the sheriff's office reports within a year.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Listen to 911 call made during Fort Myers Bank of America armed attack
