Police: Man shoots security guard at Central District bank, then turns gun on himself

SEATTLE -- When Bruce Golphenee started his day, he probably never imagined he would end up in the hospital.

The job of a bank guard is very dangerous -- one that friends say Golphenee took very seriously.

Protecting customers and bank employees was a big deal to him.

"I was like, oh, my God. That's terrible,” neighbor and friend Angie Cayo said.

Cayo has lived next door to Golphenee for three years. She says he is the best of the where his job is concerned.

"He's got a busy life and he works Monday through Friday at the bank from morning till night and he works hard all day,” Cayo said.



The first 911 calls came in just after 11 a.m. Thursday.

Shots fired, two men down at the Bank or America at 23rd and Jackson.

Customers and passersby immediately ran for their lives.

“Oh, they said 'shooting' and they kept running,” witness George Shaw said.

George Shaw is a barber at Styles on 23rd.

He says several people came running through his shop after hearing multiple gunshots at a strip mall at the corner of 23rd and Jackson.

As everyone else ran away, Shaw ran toward the Bank of America a few doors down.

“I see the security guard laying there and he's in agony and I see a guy lying by the door stomach down,” Shaw said.

“The security guard did notice the individual that was there, and made contact, at which time I’m sure that contact went very badly,” Seattle police spokesman Pierre Davis said.

Police say the suspect overpowered Golphenee, took his gun and shot Golphenee before turning the gun on himself.

Shaw says he saw the gun on the floor beside the guard and noticed the suspect was wearing wig and he knew what had happened.

‘”No one's just going to walk up and argue with a security guard, especially him; he's cool. No one had to tell me. Bank there, wig there, gun there,” Shaw said.

As of 10 p.m. Thursday, both men remained in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center.