RENO, Nev. — The victim in a fatal Reno bank robbery was shot and killed after he told the gunman to “get out of here” during the holdup, the FBI said in documents released Thursday.
Details of the rare death emerged in an FBI affidavit that accompanied a criminal complaint charging Van McDuffie, 66, with bank robbery with a dangerous weapon causing death.
According to the FBI, a total of 5,014 robberies occurred at banks, credit unions and savings and loans nationwide in 2011, the latest data available. In those cases, two law enforcement officers and one security guard were killed — but no customers.
The name of the victim, whom FBI agents described only as “elderly,” had not been released as of Thursday afternoon. The Washoe County Medical Examiner’s office said it was awaiting fingerprint confirmation from the bureau before releasing his identity.
McDuffie was arrested Wednesday, just minutes after the robbery at the Bank of America branch on South Virginia Street.
The crime began shortly after 10 a.m., when McDuffie “barged into the bank and pushed a couple of people on his way up the teller counter,” Special Agent Erron Terry wrote in the FBI affidavit.
McDuffie then approached a teller, handed her a bag and said, “This is a robbery. Give me all your money,” while showing a gun.
The victim was at the next teller. When he noticed what was going on he told the robber something like, “get out of here,” the affidavit said. The gunman turned to him, pulled out a gun and shot him. He died at the scene.
McDuffie then moved to that teller and demanded more money before leaving the bank, according to the report.
An off-duty Reno police officer who was in the bank witnessed the robber shoot the elderly man, the affidavit said. He followed McDuffie to a nearby bus station at Meadowood Mall, approached him from behind and subdued him until officers arrived.
The FBI said money and a weapon were recovered.
No other bank patrons or employees were injured.
