A Miami man charged in a Gary bank security guard’s shooting death made his first court appearance Monday.

James A. King, 24, of the 7600 block of NW 15th Ave., is charged with murder in perpetration of a robbery and armed robbery. He appeared in a striped jail jumpsuit with five other inmates in a jail proceeding via Zoom.

A magistrate entered a not guilty plea and assigned public defender Gojko Kasich. King is being held at the Lake County Jail without bail.

King said he had a job prior to coming to the Chicago area from Florida, two college degrees from separate universities and no prior felonies.

“It’s my first time,” he told Magistrate Kathleen Sullivan.

King later denied participating in the robbery, but Sullivan interrupted saying he could damage his case speaking further in court without an attorney.

Police were called just after 1 p.m. Thursday to First Midwest Bank on the 1900 block of W. Ridge Road Avenue in unincorporated Calumet Township.

Surveillance video showed two men in all black, who approached the bank from a wooded area southeast, according to charging documents. They shot the security guard in the face, who dropped to the ground, it said.

The guard was later identified as Richard Castellana, 55, of Tinley Park, Illinois, by the Lake County Coroner’s Office.

King, according to court documents, went inside displaying a handgun. A second man went into the bank’s vestibule while firing several rifle shots, according to police.

Police said King stole cash from the bank’s drawers before both men fled, the affidavit states.

A witness said she was in her office at the bank when she heard a loud “boom” outside, charges state. A 6-foot 2-inch man was yelling for everyone to “get down” and not move, documents show.

Shortly after, she heard another man say, “We gotta go, we gotta go,” the affidavit states. Employees found Castellana shot, lying on the front sidewalk.

He appeared lifeless and was pronounced dead at 2:20 p.m., charges state.

Gary Police and Lake County Sheriff’s officers caught up to King on the 4300 block of Grant Street, about five blocks southeast of the bank.

King ran when he appeared from a wood line and was tracked by police dogs two blocks west to Garfield Street, officials said.

He identified himself as King and had a handgun and $9,000 cash in a black backpack about 25 yards from where he was arrested, police said.

The second suspect has not yet been apprehended, according to police.

King’s next court appearance is June 23 before Lake Superior Judge Natalie Bokota.