Security Guard Stops Gunman After Deadly Shooting at Tampa-Area Citibank Campus

A gunman drove a car into an outdoor lunch area at Citibank’s large office campus outside Tampa, Florida, on Wednesday and shot a woman to death before an armed company security guard shot and killed him, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.

The attack happened at the Citibank Center in Brandon, an unincorporated community east of Tampa, where about 3,200 people were working at the time, according to the sheriff’s office. Thousands of employees were evacuated from the complex as deputies secured the buildings.

How the attack unfolded

Chief Deputy Frank Losat told reporters that the first 911 calls about gunfire came in at about 12:11 p.m. local time. He said the suspect drove a small silver sedan over several medians and a grassy area, broke through a fence and crashed into a courtyard where people were eating lunch.

The man then got out of the car with a rifle and fatally shot a woman, the sheriff’s office said. He moved inside toward the building’s cafeteria, where an armed Citibank security officer confronted him at about 12:15 p.m. The two exchanged gunfire, and the suspect was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where he died.

Losat said the first deputy reached the scene within about a minute of the initial call, but by then company security was already engaging the gunman.

Injuries and victims

The security guard was hurt, and at least four other people were treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening, according to CNN and local Tampa Bay outlets. Officials have not explained how those people were injured.

Citi chief executive Jane Fraser said in a statement to CNN that the woman who was killed was a Citi employee. Authorities have not released the names of the victim or the gunman.

What is not known yet

Investigators have not given a motive. Sheriff Chad Chronister initially described the shooting as appearing to be targeted, but the sheriff’s office later said detectives were still working to determine whether the gunman and the woman knew each other. Detectives planned to interview witnesses overnight.

These details are early and may change as the investigation continues.

For more on another recent deadly shooting, read our report on the Spokane County deputy killed near Spangle.

Sources: Associated Press, CNN, FOX 13 Tampa Bay, WFLA, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.