On a tragic Thursday morning in Norfolk, Nebraska, a violent bank robbery cut short the life of 50-year-old Samuel Sun, a White/Caucasian male, along with four other innocent people on September 26, 2002. The brazen assault took place shortly before 9 a.m. at the U.S. Bank branch located at the intersection of 13th Street and Pasewalk Avenue, sending shockwaves through the community. Mr.
Sun was an employee at the bank when the assailants entered and unleashed a deadly attack.
The robbery turned into a horrific scene of violence, leaving five individuals dead at the scene. Along with Samuel Sun, the other victims were identified as fellow bank employees 43-year-old Lola Elwood, 42-year-old Jo Mausbach, 29-year-old Lisa Bryant, and a customer, 37-year-old Evonne Tuttle. A sixth person, a customer, was injured during the robbery but survived and was later released from the hospital. Two other bank employees managed to escape without injury. The gunmen fled the scene on foot, forcing their way into a nearby home where they stole a car at gunpoint before making their escape.
A swift and intensive investigation led by law enforcement resulted in the capture of the suspects within hours. Three men, identified as 23-year-old Jose Sandoval, 21-year-old Jorge Galindo, and 21-year-old Erick Fernando Vela, were apprehended in O'Neill later that day and were believed to be the gunmen. A fourth suspect, 26-year-old Gabriel Rodriguez, was arrested later that evening in southeast Norfolk. Investigators believed Rodriguez acted as the getaway driver, who drove off when the robbery took a violent turn. All four men were subsequently charged with five counts of first-degree murder.
