Security guard stops gunman who drove into Tampa-area Citibank Center and opened fire, killing an employee

CNN

By Joe Sutton, Ray Sanchez, Taylor Galgano, Isa Mudannayake, CNN

(CNN) — A security guard stopped a gunman in an exchange of fire after the shooter crashed a car at the Citibank Center complex near Tampa and fatally shot a woman, later identified by the company as an employee, law enforcement said Wednesday.

The security guard was injured and at least four others were treated for non-life-threatening injuries following the lunchtime shooting, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Frank Losat said.

“This was a tragic situation where a victim was killed by an individual who was intent on killing as many people as possible,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said.

Thousands of employees were evacuated from the sprawling complex in the suburb of Brandon.

“My first instinct was to call my mother because I’m like, if something was to happen to me, someone has to know,” said a cafeteria employee who requested anonymity because she works at the complex.

She said she sheltered in a room with five others until police arrived. Some cried, while others desperately tried to reach loved ones or texted coworkers for updates.

Losat did not provide details about a possible motive.

The first 911 calls started coming in at 12:11 p.m. about shots fired, and deputies responded to Tampa’s Citibank office within one minute, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

The gunman had driven over several medians and a grassy area, crashed through a fence and came to a stop in a courtyard where people were having lunch. The Citibank campus includes several three-story office buildings that house thousands of the banking giant’s employees, Losat said.

After he got out of the car, the man used a rifle and fatally shot a woman.

The Citibank security guard confronted the gunman in the cafeteria, where the two exchanged gunfire. The suspect was shot and transported to a local hospital, where he died, Losat said.

Body camera footage from 12:16 p.m., posted by the sheriff’s office, shows an armed officer running across the campus. “Subject is in the cafeteria, possibly down,” he shouts through ragged breath as others yell around him. “Shooter is down, shooter is down,” he says moments later.

The video shows crowds shuffling through packed hallways to exit the building, their hands raised and sirens blaring around them.

“Was there a potential for further violence? Absolutely,” Losat said. “So, kudos to that security guard.”

More than 300 law enforcement officers responded and evacuated more than 3,000 employees from the complex in two and a half hours, Losat said.

The victim was a Citi employee, said company chair and CEO Jane Fraser in a statement to CNN.

“My heart goes out to our colleague’s loved ones, all our colleagues in Tampa and everyone affected by this horrific act of violence. I am grateful to the brave actions of our security team who prevented this awful day from being even worse,” she said.

Citi’s Tampa campus is secure and the company is adding security to its other sites as necessary, Fraser added.

Counseling and other resources are available for employees at the campus in the days ahead, Fraser said, while a company spokesperson told CNN employees are not expected to work Thursday.

Panicked employees took shelter during the shooting. At one point, while hiding with the others, the cafeteria worker said, a crying woman ran in, saying she believed the shooter had been close to where she was previously hiding. “I’m gonna die,” the woman said she felt just moments before, according to the worker.

The worker said she recalled seeing people outside running and screaming, and seeing someone on the ground.

The cafeteria worker said she tried to stay calm and reassure her mother on the phone, and others in the room, that “we were going to be OK.”

Doug Merritt said he was startled when his son called to say he had fled the Citibank building after hearing gunshots.

“He was very close to it,” Merritt told The Associated Press. “He left all this stuff where he was at and he was able to get out of there.”

Merritt said a poor internet connection made it difficult to reach his son, leaving him unsure for about an hour whether his son was safe.

“I wanted him to get to safety,” he said. “I was upset.”

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CNN’s Julia Vargas Jones, Isabel Rosales, Amanda Jackson and Devon M. Sayers contributed to this report.