A federal standoff involving a semi-truck, a threat of C-4 explosives, and an AR-15 rifle ended in gunfire outside a hobby store this week, leaving a bank robbery suspect wounded and facing decades in prison.
Federal authorities charged Willie Edward Mcgee, Jr. on December 27 with bank robbery and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges stem from a chaotic 24-hour spree that began at a bank in Zebulon and ended in a shootout with police in a Rocky Mount parking lot.
According to the criminal complaint, the incident began the day after Christmas. On December 26, Mcgee allegedly entered a First Citizens Bank in Zebulon and demanded cash, claiming he was armed with C-4 explosives. The teller handed over $3,234, and Mcgee fled the scene in an unusual getaway vehicle: a semi-truck.
Police tracked the rig to a Hobby Lobby parking lot in Rocky Mount later that day. When officers set up surveillance on the vehicle, the situation escalated rapidly. Investigators say Mcgee exited the truck armed with a Ruger AR-5.56 rifle and immediately opened fire on the officers.
Police returned fire, striking Mcgee. He was taken into custody, where officers recovered both the rifle used in the attack and a handgun tucked into his waistband. Despite the exchange of gunfire, no law enforcement officers or bystanders were injured. Bomb technicians later cleared the scene, confirming no explosives were present.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche condemned the violence, describing the suspect’s actions as going far beyond simple theft.
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“As alleged, this defendant didn’t just rob a bank – he threatened innocent civilians with explosives and then opened fire on police officers,” Blanche said. “That is not desperation, it is domestic terror.”
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle praised the officers who responded, noting that the Justice Department intends to pursue the case aggressively. “When bad guys shoot at our law enforcement partners, we will aggressively pursue federal charges against them,” Boyle said.
Mcgee now faces severe legal consequences. If convicted, the bank robbery charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. The charge for discharging a firearm carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence.
The case is being investigated by a task force including the FBI, ATF, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and local police departments in Zebulon and Rocky Mount.
Authorities have asked anyone with further information regarding the case to contact the FBI at (704) 672-6100.
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