The suspected "bearded bandit" bank robber who grabbed a gun from one of his guards, killed two marshals and then himself used a key to free one of his hands from his manacles, the FBI confirmed Tuesday.
Yelling, "I'm going to take everybody with me," Jeffrey Erickson, 34, grabbed a gun as he was being led from the federal courthouse Monday and began shooting. He then ran up the ramp of an underground parking area, put a gun to his chin and pulled the trigger, witnesses said."We located a (handcuffs) key under the body," an FBI spokesman said, adding that investigators had not determined how he obtained the key. "We're asking a lot of questions. We're talking to a lot of people."
U.S. marshals Roy Frakes, 30, and Harry Belluomini, 58, were pronounced dead shortly after arrival at Northwestern Memorial.
Authorities said Frakes was a deputy U.S. marshal and Bel-luo-mini was assigned to the U.S. marshal's office but was employed by a private security firm contracted to supply guards at the federal courthouse. They said Belluomini took the second job because he needed the money.
An attorney for Erickson said his client's mother suspected he was planning an escape.