Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty Images News / Getty Images
A deadly shooting at the Citibank Center near Tampa, Florida, on Wednesday (November 4) was reportedly sparked by a $2,500 credit card debt. According to Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, 35-year-old Jacob Pearson from Orlando became enraged after receiving a court summons for his delinquent Citibank account. Pearson drove to the Citibank complex and fatally shot employee Leanne Selmon in the parking lot before being killed by a security guard inside the complex.
The security guard, described as a retired Secret Service agent and Marine veteran, was praised by Sheriff Chronister as a hero who likely saved more lives. Chief Deputy Frank Losat of the sheriff’s office stated that the attack sent workers scrambling as Pearson crashed his car into a courtyard where people were eating lunch and then opened fire with a rifle. Losat noted that 3,200 people were on the campus at the time of the attack.
The gunman was stopped by the security guard in a cafeteria, where they exchanged gunfire, resulting in Pearson's death, as reported by SFGate. The security guard was injured, and four other people were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to CNN.
The Citibank campus, which includes several three-story office buildings, was evacuated, and more than 300 law enforcement officers responded to the scene. Citigroup's chair and CEO, Jane Fraser, expressed condolences to the victim's family and gratitude to the security team for their actions.