Video: Residents in Shock at Violent End to Bank Robbery Plays out in Saltillo

SALTILLO, Miss. (WCBI) -Wednesday morning 28 year old Ashlee Smith, the suspect in the robbery of the Farmers and Merchants Bank, and shooting death of a teller in Mantachie, fled that scene.  Within 10 minutes law enforcement officials caught up with her.

As Saltillo police and Mississippi Highway Patrol approached this black Tahoe, which had pulled onto the shoulder, a single shot rang out.

“I can say there was apparent one, what we believe to be self inflicted gunshot wound inside that vehicle.”

Sheriff Johnson says the suspect vehicle, and the female driver, match eyewitness accounts from the bank.

This portion of Highway 363 just east of Saltillo was shut down for hours as investigators from the FBI, MBI and other agencies processed the scene.

As a homeowner on 363 helped divert traffic , Chris Nance, a nearby resident, was watching everything unfold, from a distance.

“We just pulled up over here and seen all it going on and wondered what was going on, my wife got on phone, heard you say something about a woman shooting herself.”

Meantime, Ann George and her grandkids were keeping an eye on the action from their front porch.

“Oh Lord, we seen it all up that way, heard about Mantachie bank, but we thought it was a man, not a lady. ”

Do you think we’re seeing more violence around here?

“Yessir, we are.”

Why?

“Stuff like this don’t never happen around in here, not in Saltillo or nothing, Lord.”

Other residents were also in shock, but they wanted to point out that Saltillo is a good town, they say it’s just unfortunate the crime spree ended in their town.