JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. -- The man suspected of firing two shots inside the Bellco Credit Union before fleeing with cash and keys is now in custody, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday afternoon.

The suspect surrendered without incident at about 4 p.m. -- seven hours after the armed bank robbery, said Jefferson County Sheriff's Office spokesman Jim Shires.

His name and the circumstances surrounding his arrest have not been released.

Several bank employees and customers were inside the credit union during the robbery, which was first reported by a 911 call from someone inside the bank at about 9:11 a.m., just after the branch opened.

"I was in the financial services office. We were conducting business and we heard one gunshot. We kind of peered out the door. The gentleman I was with saw the gunman and said, 'Hey, there's a man with a gun in here.' Few seconds later, we heard a second gunshot," said a Bellco Credit Union customer who did not wish to be identified. "The gentleman I was with actually called 911 during the incident because the gunman hadn't quite seen us, or at least we thought. He had a brief dialogue with 911 while the gunman was still in the bank."

The customer said the gunman didn't appear to aim at anyone in particular, firing his shots in the ceiling.

"I don't think he said anything. I think the gunshot was enough to warn everyone," the customer said. "It was very quiet. People were calm. The gunman was very quiet. He didn't yell. He told people to get down but that was about it, and demanded the money ... The gunman collected just from the cash drawers, took the keys -- or asked the clerk for her keys to her vehicle -- and then walked out of the building, went to the van and drove off."

Minutes later, SWAT officers surrounded the bank with their guns drawn. There were initial conflicting reports as to whether another gunman remained inside the credit union so SWAT officers proceeded cautiously, Shires said.

Shires said deputies would have immediately entered the building if they heard shots being fired inside.

At about 10:30 a.m., SWAT officers slowly brought out 13 people -- eight men and five women -- through the building's side door. Everyone walked out with their hands up. Officers cuffed their hands behind their backs with white plastic zip ties before they were led away to another bank to be questioned. Police say it is procedure to treat everyone as a suspect until the investigation is complete.

Investigators still don't know if another person is involved in the robbery.

The SWAT team conducted a final sweep inside the bank and in nearby businesses and cleared the scene by 11 a.m.

K-9 Team Tries To Track Down Robber

The Bellco Credit Union is located at 1005a W. Progress Ave., just south of Belleview Avenue and Kipling Parkway. Authorities said the 911 caller told police the robber took off in a stolen vehicle, going northbound on Kipling.

The employee's stolen silver Dodge minivan was found abandoned, blocks away, at Tulane Avenue and South Quail Street, just after 10 a.m. A K-9 tracking team was brought in to sniff the vehicle and follow the scent. Officers followed the trail to Harriman Lake.

Police advised residents in the area to remain alert and not open their doors to strangers. The man should be considered armed and dangerous, police warned. Anyone who spots a man walking around that neighborhood who acts or appears suspicious was asked to call 911.

A reverse-911 call went out to the neighborhoods within a half-mile radius of the Bellco Credit Union to alert people to lock their doors.

"When someone walks into a bank and fires a shot it shows that the suspect is more willing than others to take whatever means he feels are necessary to accomplish his goals. It's very dangerous situation," Shires said.

Bank Customers In Shock

"I just can't believe it happened. I'm still in shock," said a bank customer who witnessed the robbery.

He said it the robbery took less than five minutes but it's an incident he won't easily forget. Thoughts of his family flashed through his mind when he saw the gun.

"You see enough TV shows about this kind of junk. Actually, the biggest thing in my mind was that I couldn't believe it was happening. I just can't believe in this day and age that somebody has the audacity to come into a bank -- no disguise, no nothing -- with a gun, fire shots. If he's caught, he's facing some big time. But unfortunately, in this economy, people are probably desperate -- driving a guy like that to do something like this," the bank customer said.

The people inside the bank will be interviewed by investigators before they are released, said sheriff's spokeswoman Jacki Kelley. She said there were reports of "questionable" behavior by some of the bank patrons but she could not give details. She also said their behavior does not imply they did anything wrong.

"These people have not done anything wrong," Kelley said. "They were put through an extremely stressful situation this morning."

A second bank was robbed a short time after the robbery at the Bellco Credit Union, but it appeared to have been unrelated. A TCF Bank was robbed at 2084 South Broadway. The suspect was described as an older white male with gray hair. He was wearing a gray hat, purple sweatshirt and gray, stone-washed jeans. He was last seen running east from the bank.

Please refresh this page for more information.