Police: No clues to gunman's motive

Michael Ray Long will be laid to rest in his central Illinois hometown one week after taking a dozen people hostage in a Wheaton bank, then killing himself, in a tragic end no one saw coming.

Authorities said they haven't uncovered any single event to trigger such violence from the 41-year-old Wheaton man who otherwise led a peaceful life.

They said a search of his home and car did not yield a suicide note. It'll be another week before a forensic examination of his computer is complete.

His stunned family did report Long was under a Crystal Lake doctor's care for depression, but those who knew him best told authorities they could not have predicted the violence that left the city's normally peaceful downtown under siege.

The three-hour standoff unfolded about 1:30 p.m. Friday when Long called 911 on his cellular phone to report a fake hit-and-run accident.

A police officer responded to the Wheaton Bank & Trust parking lot to investigate. Police said Long managed to disarm the officer after grabbing him from behind and placing a knife to this throat.

Once inside the bank, Long ordered the 12 people inside onto the floor.

Dozens of tactical officers converged on the city's evacuated streets. As police negotiated with him, Long allowed 10 hostages to be released. Dozens of other employees working in other businesses in the four-story building also were allowed to leave, but two bank officials were forced to remain with Long until the end.

About 4:15 p.m., police rushed the bank's entrance after hearing gunfire. They said Long committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.

"It's just kind of a missing piece to a puzzle no one has been able to put together yet," Wheaton Police Chief Mark Field said Monday when asked about motive.

The bank's lobby was closed for a few days to allow authorities to continue their investigation, which included obtaining surveillance footage.

Bank employees return to work Tuesday morning for the first time. The hostages were not physically injured. A couple of them who spoke to the media afterward said Long told them he was having "a bad day" but did not wish to harm anyone.

Authorities also want to review his medical records from Crystal Lake psychiatrist Aftab Poshni, who according to Long's family had been treating him for depression. Poshni did not respond Monday to a request for comment.

Long, a married father with three children, worked as a Krispy Kreme delivery truck driver. Authorities said his boss described him as a model employee.

Long grew up in Chillicothe, a small town located along the Illinois River 15 miles north of Peoria. He graduated from Illinois Valley Central High School in 1986. His folks still live in town.

His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the Davison-Fulton Funeral Chapel in his hometown. Afterward, Long will be buried at the Kingston Mines Cemetery in Peoria County. For more information, call the funeral home at (309) 688-5700.