War veteran ties bombs to hostages during US bank robbery

Los Angeles, United States, 3 Jun 2026 (AFP) - An American war veteran who took ten people hostage and tied explosives to some of them during a bank robbery in California died this Wednesday (3), after the intervention of FBI agents.
Anthony Searles-Harris, 41, convicted of sexual assault, entered a bank branch in the community of Bakersfield around noon yesterday. According to police, he held ten hostages on the second floor of the building, which also houses the superintendent's office of a school district.
Jeremy Blakemore, deputy chief of the Bakersfield police department, reported that negotiations began with the man, who said he was carrying a bomb. "He told law enforcement that he had tied other explosives to the hostages, which we confirmed based on our own observations."
The local FBI office, which worked with the police, sent its elite hostage rescue team from its main headquarters in Quantico. Two of them were released by early yesterday evening, but negotiations subsequently stalled.
FBI Special Agent Sid Patel reported that the elite team took control of the situation at 2am today. "At approximately 4:30 am, the hostage rescue team neutralized this individual. He tied up five hostages, but there were ten, and they were all unharmed. I am sure they will suffer psychological consequences. Our victim assistance specialist will help them."
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Source: G1