A gunman drove his car through a fence at Citibank’s office campus near Tampa, Florida, on Wednesday, crashed into an outdoor seating area where employees were eating lunch and opened fire with a rifle, killing a woman before an armed security guard shot him dead, authorities said.
According to Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Frank Losat, the man drove over several medians and a grassy area before crashing through a fence and stopping in a courtyard at the Citibank Center complex in the Brandon area. The woman killed was later identified by the company as a Citibank employee. Four other people were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
After the first 911 calls, Citibank’s armed security engaged the gunman in the building’s cafeteria. The guard and the gunman exchanged fire, and the gunman was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The sheriff’s office said its dispatch center received the first calls of shots fired at 12:11 p.m. and that deputies arrived within one minute. Sheriff Chad Chronister said the gunman intended to kill as many people as possible and credited the on-site security team and the more than 365 deputies who responded with stopping him before he could harm anyone else.
About 3,200 Citibank employees were on the campus, which includes four three-story office buildings, at the time of the attack. Hundreds of workers fled, and a nearby hotel sheltered many of them.
Authorities have not released the names of the gunman or the victim, and they have not given a motive or said whether the two knew each other. Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser told employees the company was devastated by the loss of a colleague.
