Gunman Kills Woman at Citibank Campus Near Tampa Before Armed Security Guard Shoots Him Dead
A gunman drove through a fence at Citibank's Sabal Center campus in Brandon, Florida, on Wednesday and shot a woman eating lunch outdoors. An armed Citibank security guard confronted him inside a cafeteria and shot him dead about four minutes after the first 911 calls.
BRANDON, Fla. — A gunman drove a car through a fence at Citibank’s office campus near Tampa on Wednesday and shot a woman eating lunch outdoors, then was shot dead by an armed Citibank security guard inside a cafeteria, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.
The woman died at the scene. Four other people were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. Authorities have not released the names of the woman or the gunman, and they have not said what led to the attack or whether the two knew each other.
How the attack unfolded
911 calls reporting shots fired began at about 12:11 p.m., Chief Deputy Frank Losat said. The gunman drove a small four-door sedan over medians and grass, crashed through a secure fence and into an outdoor seating area where employees were having lunch. He got out carrying a rifle, walked up to a woman sitting outside and shot her.
The gunman then went into a cafeteria inside the building. An armed Citibank security guard confronted him at about 12:15 p.m., and the two exchanged gunfire. The guard shot the gunman, who was taken to Tampa General Hospital and pronounced dead at 1:12 p.m.
“Was there a potential for further violence? Absolutely,” Losat told reporters. “So kudos to that security guard.”
More than 3,200 people were at work on the campus at 3800 Citibank Center, near Falkenburg Road and Interstate 75, when the attack began. A total of 367 Hillsborough deputies responded, along with SWAT, aviation, drone and K-9 units and local, state and federal partners, more than 400 law enforcement personnel in all. Crews spent about two and a half hours clearing the buildings.
A targeted attack, sheriff says
Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement that preliminary information pointed to a targeted incident and that the gunman “was intent on killing as many people as possible.” He credited the on-site security team and the deputies who responded with stopping him.
David Dzien, a Citibank vice president, told The Associated Press he was returning to work after lunch when he saw the sedan crash through a fence about 150 yards away, followed by an “incredible clatter” he later realized was gunfire. “I can still hear the particular type of scream,” he said, “and I’m still trying to process it, frankly.”
Workers who fled the campus found shelter at the Sheraton Tampa Brandon Hotel a few hundred feet away. General Manager Matt Chauvin said the hotel took in about 300 Citibank workers, giving them water and lunch and letting some use hotel rooms to make phone calls.
Citibank Chair and CEO Jane Fraser told employees in a memo that the victim was a Citi colleague, calling the shooting “heartbreaking, awful news” and saying the company was adding security at other sites as needed and offering counseling. “I am grateful to the brave actions of our security team who prevented this awful day from being even worse,” she wrote.
Citigroup said in a statement that it was aware of an incident at the complex and was cooperating with authorities. The sheriff’s office said detectives planned overnight witness interviews as they worked to establish a motive.
Reporting based on coverage by the Associated Press and the Tampa Bay Observer.
