"A black male came in with a handgun and demanded money from the teller," Adairsville Police Department Lt. Robert Jones said. "It happened shortly after noon. ... We have video surveillance. We have still photos."
The man between 5-feet-8-inches and 5-feet-10-inches tall and weighing about 190 pounds, wearing a black shirt, dark pants and a baseball cap with the New York Yankees insignia, then left on foot, according to Jones and a police press release.
"No one was hurt, but people were scared, which happens anytime somebody's pointing a gun at you," Jones said Friday. "There's no indication of where he is from right now."
Jones said investigators need the public's help in identifying the suspect. APD's investigation revealed the man had been in the bank branch on at least one prior occasion.
"We believe that he actually cased the bank and he was in there on another day," Jones said, adding a bank employee recognized the man as previously being at the location. "We're positive it was him and we've photographs of him on that date.
"Basically, when they case out a bank, they're counting how many employees are in there, checking out the layout of the bank [and] they may check different times to see which time the bank does the most business."
The bank at 7450 Adairsville Highway reopened around 3:30 p.m. and was scheduled to close at 6 p.m., bank personnel said late Friday.
Adairsville police and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents are conducting a joint investigation into the incident. Investigators are seeking tips in the case and anyone with information should call 770-773-7779 and dial either extension 12 or 13, or contact the Rome FBI office, the main number of which is 706- 291-7364.