SunTrust establishes fund to benefit Sebring shooting victims’ survivors

SunTrust headquarters building is shown in Atlanta Thursday, May 7, 2009. Some of the nation's largest banks will be scrambling to demonstrate that they can raise capital after results of government stress tests leaked out, showing many need more funds. The Treasury Department will officially release results later Thursday. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

SunTrust established a fund to help the families of five women killed at one of the bank’s branches last week.

The Sebring Strong Survivors Fund, established by SunTrust Bank and the SunTrust Foundation, seeks to raise $1 million for five individuals killed at a Sebring branch on Jan. 23.

A GoFundMe page said the banks worked with the National Compassion Fund to “provide resources and financial support to families of the victims of this mass shooting.”

“Together we have established the Sebring Strong Survivors Fund, a simple way for others to also donate to this cause with 100 percent of your charitable contribution directly benefiting the families of victims,” the page reads.

“National Compassion Fund manages the distribution of the funds and works with GoFundMe for the collection of the donations.”

An anonymous $10,000 donation was the first put into the account.

Sebring police say Zephan Xaver, 21, killed the five individuals, four of whom worked at the bank, in an apparent random act of violence.

Police believe Xaver bought a 9mm pistol days before the shooting, and are testing a weapon found at the scene of the attack to determine if that was the same weapon, the Associated Press reports.

Authorities thus far have identified four victims: Cynthia Watson, Marisol Lopez, Jessica Montague and Ana Piñon-Williams.

The last victim has not been released, with family invoking Marsy’s Law.