Surviving a Heist: One Man’s Harrowing Tale of a Standoff with an Armed Bank Robber

SAVANNAH, Ga. — In the wake of an armed robbery at the Bank of America on Victory Drive, one local bystander is feeling particularly grateful for his quick thinking.

Allen Larkin was parked at a nearby establishment, focused on sending a work email from his phone. In an interview with News 3, he recounted noticing a masked individual and instinctively locking his car doors.

Unbeknownst to Larkin at that moment, the bank had just been robbed, and he was about to come face-to-face with the fleeing suspect.

“Suddenly, I see a gun in his hand, and he’s banging on my window, yelling at me,” Larkin described.

Authorities identified the suspect as 37-year-old Eric Williams, who allegedly made off with a substantial amount of cash from the bank. According to police, as Williams fled the scene, he was on the hunt for a getaway vehicle.

Larkin said Williams held him at gunpoint and told him to exit his car. Larkin was able to get away, finding shelter at a nearby building. He later realized that he had his car key in his pocket, which was why Williams wasn’t able to steal his vehicle.

Investigators said Williams tried to steal another car but wasn’t successful. Instead, he ran, but police caught up with him. Larkin said he was told that his shirt was a clue for officers to know they got the right guy.

“Someone with forensics told me that the guy actually had bloody knuckles… and they were pretty sure the blood on my shirt was his,” Larkin said.

Larkin told , he’s still processing what happened. He was overcome with emotion when explaining how thankful he was to be alive.

“The first thing I did was call my girlfriend, and I just prefaced this with… you know that I’m okay. I was just thinking that I just want to make sure I get back to them. That was most important to me,” Larkin said. “I’m just blessed to be here.”

Larkin is back home with his girlfriend and her daughter. He told that he’s holding them extra tight.

Williams has been arrested and charged with felony armed robbery.