A brazen bank robbery turned deadly in Zebulon, North Carolina, on December 26, 2025, when Willie Edward Mcgee, Jr., allegedly entered a First Citizens Bank and demanded cash under threat of explosives.
According to a federal complaint, Mcgee entered the bank and demanded $3,234 in cash, which the teller handed over before fleeing the scene.
Surveillance footage showed Mcgee leaving the bank in a semi-truck, which was later tracked to a Hobby Lobby parking lot in Rocky Mount. Police officers were surveilling the truck when Mcgee exited, armed with a Ruger AR 5.56 rifle.
Mcgee immediately began firing at officers, who returned fire and struck him. While taking Mcgee into custody, officers recovered the AR rifle and a handgun from his waistband.
Thankfully, no law enforcement officers or members of the public were injured during the arrest. Bomb technicians from the FBI and SBI rapidly responded and secured the scene.
The federal complaint charges Mcgee with armed bank robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison on the bank robbery charge and a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, on the discharging a firearm charge.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche called the incident ‘domestic terror,’ while United States Attorney Ellis Boyle vowed to ‘make sure that they go home to their families at the end of each shift.’
The FBI, ATF, NC SBI, Zebulon Police Department, and Rocky Mount Police Department are investigating the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aria Merle, Charles Loeser, and Tyler Lemons prosecuting.
This investigation is ongoing. If you have any information about the alleged crimes, please contact the FBI at (704) 672-6100.
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
