Video released showing sniper killing bank robbery suspect during hostage situation in Lee Co.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Newly released surveillance video shows the moments a gunman who arrested two people during a bank robbery was shot and killed by a Lee County Sheriff's Office sniper.

The sniper's bullet, fired from the lobby entrance, pierced a computer screen and split the two hostages held in the suspect's arms to strike the suspect, the video shows.

The heavily edited video, posted to Facebook on Saturday, is cut between moments of surveillance footage and members of the sheriff's office explaining what was happening at the time the decision to fire was made.

“We train for the worst case scenario. We train in hostage negotiations and how to move from worst case to best case scenario,” Sheriff Carmine Marceno previously explained. “This is a very unfortunate incident; but I can tell you, the safety of the two hostages was our top priority.

According to the post, the suspect had a knife and claimed to have a bomb during the Feb. 6 robbery at a Bank of America location in Fort Myers. The footage showed the suspect hiding in a corner behind the counter, with the two hostages positioned in front of him.

Just inside the lobby and outside the bank were members of the Sheriff's Office Special Operations Unit, a Hostage Negotiation Team and the Patrol Bureau, some of whom wore gear tactical.

The video shows over the sniper's shoulder as he takes aim with his rifle resting on the shoulder of the man in front of him. The angle gives an idea of ​​the suspect's limited vision and how he was protected by the monitor.

(The full video, as posted by the sheriff's office, is embedded at the top of the story. The filming scenes are graphic and viewer discretion is advised.)

The scene cuts to the moment the sniper fires, and the .308 caliber bullet travels the length of the hall and through the monitor. The suspect instantly collapses.

Flash Bang devices were quickly deployed and members of the special unit team rushed to ensure the hostages were safe and the suspect did not pose a threat, the spokesperson noted. Sheriff's Office Lt. Todd Ulmer.

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“I couldn’t be more proud of the men and women in law enforcement today,” Marceno said the day of the robbery. “How you train depends on how you perform, and that’s exactly what we train for.”