[DJ MacWoW]

I think the confusion stemmed from early witness reports

No. On the very first thread on this the reports were from police scanners.

[MD Expat in PA]

I understand that but those early police scanner chatter could have been as the result of people calling the police thinking it was a bank robbery because Dear parked his car nearer to the bank than the PP and hadn't yet entered the PP. It is not unusual for police scanner chatter to be confused and get things wrong early on.

Again, if it were bank robbery gone wrong, I would expect there to have been witnesses from inside the bank. Where are they?

Also "The official told CNN that propane tanks were found in the area of Dear's car in the parking lot, and that authorities believe he was trying to shoot them to cause an explosion." That's not the MO of a bank robber.