An armed security guard was hailed as a hero by authorities Wednesday after engaging a gunman who drove onto the busy Citibank Center property in Tampa, Florida, fatally shot a woman, and then opened fire inside the building’s cafeteria.
The suspect crashed into an outdoor seating area where multiple people were eating lunch just after 12 p.m. upon driving through a fence at the Sabal Park Office Development, Frank Losat, a chief deputy with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, told reporters at the scene. The gunman then got out of his vehicle with a rifle and fatally shot a woman.
An armed security guard employed by Citibank shot the suspect inside a nearby building’s cafeteria during a gunfire exchange, authorities said. The gunman was taken to Tampa General Hospital where he later died.
“The security guard that’s employed by Citibank stopped the threat,” Losat said. “Was there a potential for further violence? Absolutely. So kudos to that security guard and the people they employ.”
Four people were also treated at a local hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening. It is unclear where the victims were wounded during the incident.
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Officials said deputies with the sheriff’s office responded to the scene within minutes of the reported shooting.
At the time the chaotic scene broke out, there were 3,200 Citibank employees on the property, Losat said. Another 367 law enforcement personnel responded to the scene.
“With that being said, with that many witnesses… we will be doing interviews well into the night,” Losat said. “The crime scene is very large. Remember, we have an outdoor scene. We have an indoor scene. Our crime scene will be processing the scene, which will take several hours, if not until tomorrow.”
Losat did not release the name of the suspected gunman or the victim, pending notification to the next of kin.
Investigators are still trying to determine a motive for the attack. Authorities have cleared the Citibank property.
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Nearby Hillsborough College encouraged students and staff to shelter in place at the time of the incident. The FBI and ATF have also responded.
The scene showed adults with children moving away from the business campus, which has a daycare center, affiliate FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported.
Citibank employees were asked to meet at the triage area in the parking lot of the Sheraton Tampa Brandon Hotel. Families of employees were instructed to meet at the reunification site at Staybridge Suites Tampa East.
The Citibank Center serves as the banking giant’s regional data processing and communications hub, according to the developer’s website. The campus is composed of four 130,000-square-foot three-story office buildings, and a 138,000-square-foot amenities building.
The campus has roughly 25,000 employees and offers amenities such as dining services, a gym, child care facilities, a bank branch and shops including a drug store, dry cleaner, hairdresser and shoe repair shop.
“The low-rise campus is surrounded by lushly landscaped berms with outdoor plazas, fountains, and waterfalls to provide a secluded, tranquil environment,” the website states. “Each building is interconnected by enclosed walkways to ensure personnel comfort and building security as well as provide a homogenous atmosphere among the individual buildings and associated staff.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
