An armed security guard shot the attacker dead after he rammed through a fence and opened fire on workers having lunch in Florida
A gunman has rammed his car through a security fence at a Citibank corporate campus in Florida and fatally shot a female employee before being gunned down by an armed security guard. The attack left four others injured and triggered a massive police response involving hundreds of officers.
The attack unfolded around noon on Wednesday at the Citibank Center in Brandon, near Tampa, where more than 3,200 people were working at the time, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect drove a sedan over several road medians and grassy areas before smashing through a secured fence and crashing into an outdoor dining area where employees were having lunch, according to videos from the scene.
He then emerged from the wrecked vehicle carrying an AR-15-style rifle, approached a woman sitting outside and shot her dead, authorities said.
The attacker subsequently entered the building’s cafeteria, where an armed Citibank security guard confronted him. The two exchanged gunfire, and the guard shot the suspect, who was rushed to Tampa General Hospital and pronounced dead at 1:12pm.
Four other people were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, although officials have not clarified whether they were struck by gunfire or injured when the vehicle crashed into the dining area.
The shooting triggered a massive law enforcement operation, with 367 sheriff’s deputies, SWAT teams, helicopters, drones and K-9 units descending on the sprawling complex. Officers evacuated workers and searched the buildings room by room, finding some employees hiding in locked offices and closets.
Dramatic bodycam footage released by the sheriff’s office shows deputies rushing into the building and moving through its corridors during the response. Separate footage circulating online captured the gunman emerging from his wrecked car moments before the shooting.
Sheriff Chad Chronister described the shooting as a “targeted incident” and said the attacker had apparently intended to inflict far greater casualties.
“This was a tragic situation where a victim was killed by an individual who was intent on killing as many people as possible,” Chronister said, praising the security team for stopping the gunman before he could harm anyone else.
Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser confirmed that the woman killed was a colleague and credited the security guards with preventing an even greater tragedy.
“I am devastated to share that one of our colleagues has lost their life,” she wrote in a message to employees. “I am grateful to the brave actions of our security team who prevented this awful day from being even worse.”
The identities of the suspect and victim have not been released. Investigators have yet to establish a motive or determine whether the two knew each other.
