Debt to Citibank preceded deadly attack at Tampa complex
Authorities linked the shooting to a collection process; one employee died and the attacker died after confronting an armed guard.
Jacob Pearson, 35, of Orlando, burst into a Citibank compound in Brandon, Hillsborough County, armed. The attack left Leanne Selman, a 41-year-old employee, dead and ended with Pearson fatally wounded by an armed guard. Authorities linked the assault to a credit card debt of nearly $2,500 and a court summons. According to Sheriff Chad Chronister, Pearson had traveled from Orlando to the scene and had no known criminal record prior to the attack.
Hours before the shooting, Pearson phoned a law firm in charge of managing the collection and demanded that they withdraw the court case. During that call, he threatened to show up armed if they did not cancel the process, according to information released by the authorities. Citibank's head of security considered the warning serious and alerted Orlando police to verify the situation. Agents went to Pearson's home, where his wife told them that he had already left, upset, without indicating his destination.
After receiving that alert, the bank also informed Hillsborough Sheriff; his deputies were arriving at the complex when the shooting began. Pearson drove his car through a fence and opened fire on Selman, who was eating lunch in the courtyard of the business center. Chronister said the two had no relationship and that the employee was attacked as she was the first person he encountered. When the rifle stopped working, Pearson returned to the vehicle, grabbed a handgun and fired again as Selman tried to drive away.
After the attack in the courtyard, Pearson entered the cafeteria, where numerous workers were seeking refuge or trying to escape. In that space, he was confronted by John Fraley, the bank's vice president of security operations and a veteran of the Marine Corps. Fraley, who had been in a men's bathroom, shot Pearson during the exchange, hitting him five times. The attacker was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where he died; sources credit the confrontation with the end of the attack.
About 3,200 employees were at the complex, and hundreds had to run to safety or hide. No other people were shot; four workers were treated for injuries and discomfort, and all were discharged. The sheriff's office later released security and body camera footage showing the vehicle entering and evacuating. Citibank said its Tampa employees would be able to work from home and would not be required to return to the site soon.