FBI Rescues 10 Hostages, Ends Standoff With Fatal Shooting
WHO:
KOMO - Anthony Scott Searle-Sharris served in the U.S. Army from 2006 to 2007 and was dishonorably discharged after going AWOL.
KBAK - Searle-Sharris had a criminal history that included violent offenses involving weapons in 2014 and was a registered sex offender.
KOMO - The suspect was identified as Anthony Scott Searle-Sharris, 41 years old.
KBAK - The FBI Special Agent in Charge is Sid Patel.
KBAK - The Assistant Chief of Police for Bakersfield is Jeremy Blakemore.
KBAK - The hostages were employees of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools.
WHAT:
KOMO - The FBI deployed personnel from Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, including SWAT teams, bomb technicians, and crisis negotiators.
KBAK - Multiple suspected explosive devices recovered during the incident remain under investigation, and authorities have not yet determined whether the devices were functional.
KOMO - The FBI fatally shot the suspect after a standoff lasting more than 15 hours.
KBAK - All 10 hostages were rescued unharmed.
KBAK - The suspect had tied up five of the 10 hostages.
KBAK - The standoff ended at 4:20 a.m. after an officer-involved shooting.
KBAK - The FBI deployed 150 personnel, including SWAT teams and bomb technicians.
WHERE:
KOMO - The incident occurred inside a Chase Bank building in Bakersfield, California.
KBAK - The suspect barricaded himself on the second floor of the Chase Bank building.
WHEN:
KBAK - The standoff began on June 2 at 12:59 p.m.
KBAK - The first hostage was released at 3:59 p.m. and the second at 8:24 p.m.
KBAK - The FBI assumed operational control at 9:02 p.m.
KBAK - The suspect was neutralized at approximately 4:30 a.m.
WHY:
KOMO - The suspect expressed frustration over a prior criminal case and believed he had been wrongfully convicted.
KBAK - The suspect claimed to have explosives attached to himself and some hostages.
HOW:
KBAK - The FBI's Hostage Rescue Team was deployed from Quantico, Virginia, to assist with the response, transitioning control of the scene at around 2 a.m.
KBAK - A search warrant was executed at the suspect's home on Oildale Drive as part of the ongoing investigation.
KOMO - Authorities established communication with the suspect to negotiate the release of hostages.
KBAK - Negotiators exchanged food, water, and materials related to the suspect's previous court case for the release of hostages.
KBAK - The FBI's Hostage Rescue Team was deployed from Quantico, Virginia, to assist in the response.
(UPDATED June 4, 2026 13:57 UTC)
The FBI has deployed personnel, including SWAT teams and crisis negotiators, from Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Francisco in response to an incident involving Anthony Scott Searle-Sharris, a U.S. Army veteran with a criminal history and a past as a registered sex offender. Multiple suspected explosive devices have been recovered and are under investigation, with authorities still determining their functionality. Additionally, the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team was brought in from Quantico, Virginia, to assist, and a search warrant was executed at Searle-Sharris's home on Oildale Drive as part of the ongoing investigation.
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(UPDATED June 4, 2026 11:54 UTC)
In a tense situation at a Chase Bank in Bakersfield, California, the FBI fatally shot the suspect, identified as 41-year-old Anthony Scott Searle-Sharris, after a standoff that lasted more than 15 hours. All ten hostages, who were employees of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, were rescued unharmed, although five had been tied up by the suspect, who claimed to have explosives attached to himself and some hostages. The standoff began on June 2, and after negotiations that involved exchanging food and water for the hostages' release, the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team was deployed, ultimately leading to the suspect being neutralized around 4:30 a.m.