VENICE, Fla. (WFLA) — A woman was killed in a shooting at a BB&T bank in Venice Monday morning.
Deputies responded to the bank, located at 160 Pointe Loop Drive, near the intersection of Jacaranda Blvd and Tamiami Trail, just after 9:00 a.m
They say they found the woman in her 40’s dead upon their arrival.
Deputies said a man drove up in a car, got out, shot the woman to death, and drove off.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Captain said deputies found the potential suspect 10 minutes later in a nearby neighborhood.
“There’s nothing to worry about, we believe this is an isolated incident and that we have everyone involved,” said Captain Joe Giasone with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.
Neighbors nearby are shocked. “It’s crazy, absurd, horrifying and so sad. Poor woman, so sad, how could a human do this to another human?” said Chava Hamer who is visiting family in Venice.
“It’s horrifying and really scary. you don’t expect these things to happen and it can happen in any neighborhood. You can only hope and pray to stay safe,” Hamer said.
Her grandpa, Anthony Hamer, had to walk to his house because of the chaos in the neighborhood.
“The road was blocked by police vehicles and a large tow away truck with a vehicle already on top of it,” said Hamer. He continued “I didn’t stop, I had to park in the next street and walk to get home.”
“People should always be cautious of their surroundings. Whether they’re in a bank or at a store, always be aware of your surroundings,” said Captain Giasone.
“The next steps are we need to determine the relationship between the two, need to contact the victim’s family and keep interviewing witnesses and examining the crime scene,” Captain Giasone said.
The name of the victim and potential suspect was not yet released as the investigation remains active.
If anyone has information related to the incident, they are asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Section at 941.861.4900.
