Eleven hostages were released from a Community First Credit Union bank branch in Jacksonville Fla. after a man with a gun walked in the branch at about 9 a.m., according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
The hostages were released at about 11 a.m. and the suspect is in custody. No shots were fired and no one was injured in the incident, according to police and media reports.
The credit union branch is located at 1623 Edgewood Ave in a heavily commercial area. During a press conference, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said the initial 911 call came in at 9:06 a.m. that stated there was a bank robbery in process, according to a local media report.
A witness on scene told First Coast News that she was in the credit union drive through when the robbery happened. The witness told the local media outlet that she saw multiple bank tellers walking through the building with their hands up. The woman said she knew something was wrong and called 911.
According to local news reports, a mother of a credit union employee heard from her 18-year-old son inside the credit union branch. The mother said son just started working at the $1.3 billion Community First CU about two months ago. The text read: “Mom I’m safe.” She said she’s relieved, according to media reports.
