SHORELINE, Wash. -- Two newly enlisted National Guardsmen chased down two men accused of robbing a Shoreline bank and led police to the suspects' location.

The private first class, who declined to be identified, told KIRO 7 reporter Jeff Dubois he was grabbing lunch at a Shoreline Safeway Thursday before his next honor guard ceremony.

Seeing the man's uniform, a teller at the Alaska USA Federal Credit Union, which is inside the store, approached the Private and asked him for help.

"She said, 'the bank is being robbed,'" the guardsman told Dubois.

"I chased him outside and I told him to stop. He turned around and looked at me, then kept running," he said.

Getting into his car with another guardsman, the private said he used his enemy surveillance and scouting training learned two months ago to help track the alleged robber.

The men called 911 and followed the suspect, who got into a red pickup truck with an accomplice and sped off.

"I wasn't sure if he was going to shoot or not, so I was keeping my distance," the private said.

The guardsmen relayed information to the 911 operator as they followed the man.

The suspect eventually turned into a casino parking lot.

Shortly after, Shoreline police arrived at the scene as the suspect jumped out of the truck.

"He turned around with a weapon and that's when the officer fired," he said.

The two guardsmen said it appeared that one of the men pointed a gun at the officer.

Three officers shot and killed one man, who the FBI said was getaway driver in the robbery.

The gun, later identified to be an Airsoft Model G26X, was a "very realistic" replica of a G-26 Glock pistol, the King County Sheriff's Department said. The Glock is carried by Sgt. John Urquhart.

The surviving man, 47-year-old James Bartlow, was taken into custody.

The robbery was the third at the Alaska USA Federal Credit Union inside the Safeway store.

The FBI said the same man was believed to have robbed that bank, and authorities believe the pair was responsible for several bank robberies in the Seattle, Kirkland and Shoreline areas over the past few weeks.

Officers said the robbers may have escaped if the guardsmen had not stayed on their trail and relayed the information to the 911 operator.

"I'm a citizen soldier. I feel it was my duty to protect the public," the private said.