A woman was fatally shot outside a Citibank office complex in Brandon, Florida, before an armed security guard confronted and shot the attacker, ending an incident that triggered a massive police response and the evacuation of thousands of employees.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
BRANDON, Fla. — A woman was killed and four other people were hospitalized Wednesday, Nov. 4, after a gunman drove through a security fence at a Citibank corporate campus outside Tampa and opened fire before being fatally shot by an armed security guard, authorities said.
The shooting began shortly after noon at the Citibank Center in Brandon, a sprawling business complex in Hillsborough County that houses thousands of employees. Investigators believe the attack was targeted, although authorities had not established a motive or disclosed whether the gunman knew the victim.
According to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, emergency dispatchers began receiving calls reporting gunfire at approximately 12:11 p.m. The first marked Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle arrived within a minute.
Chief Deputy Frank Losat said the suspect drove a small, four-door sedan across grassy medians before crashing through a secured fence into an outdoor dining area at the corporate facility.
The gunman exited the damaged vehicle carrying a rifle and approached a woman who was sitting outside eating lunch. He shot the woman before moving toward the building’s cafeteria.
At approximately 12:15 p.m., an armed security officer employed by Citibank confronted the attacker inside the cafeteria. The two exchanged gunfire, and the security officer shot the suspect.
The gunman was transported to Tampa General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The woman shot outside the building also died from her injuries.
Authorities had not publicly identified either deceased person Wednesday afternoon, and investigators were working to determine what prompted the attack.
During an afternoon news conference, Losat credited the security officer with preventing the possibility of additional violence.
“We stopped the threat. The security guard employed by Citibank stopped the threat. Was there potential for other violence? Absolutely,” Losat said. “Kudos to that security guard.”
Four additional people were hospitalized with injuries that authorities described as non-life-threatening. Investigators had not determined whether those individuals were injured by gunfire, while attempting to escape or through other circumstances related to the incident.
The shooting triggered a major emergency response involving 367 Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputies, SWAT teams, firefighters and additional state and federal personnel.
According to Spectrum Bay News 9, approximately 3,200 Citibank employees were on the property when the attack began.
Law enforcement officers conducted systematic searches of the sprawling campus, checking offices, meeting rooms and other secured areas for potential threats.
The process took approximately two and a half hours, with deputies searching locked rooms and assisting employees who had sheltered inside the buildings.
“Every inch of that building, every locked room was searched and secured,” Losat said.
Television footage showed large numbers of employees leaving the complex as deputies and emergency vehicles surrounded the buildings. Some workers reported hearing gunshots before fleeing or seeking shelter.
The sheriff’s office initially described the situation as an active threat and warned residents and workers in surrounding areas to remain indoors, lock doors and stay away from windows.
According to Fox News, nearby Hillsborough College also advised students and employees to shelter in place while law enforcement personnel secured the area.
Authorities asked motorists and pedestrians to avoid the vicinity of Falkenburg Road and Queen Palm Drive as emergency operations continued.
Citibank employees were directed to an assembly area near the Sheraton Tampa Brandon Hotel, while family members were instructed to meet at a separate reunification center at Staybridge Suites Tampa East on North Falkenburg Road.
The arrangements allowed law enforcement officials to account for employees while investigators continued searching the corporate campus.
Witnesses described confusion and anxiety as reports of gunfire spread through the buildings.
Doug Merritt, whose son worked at the facility, told The Associated Press that his son called after hearing gunshots and escaping the immediate area.
“He was very close to it,” Merritt said. “He left all this stuff where he was at and he was able to get out of there.”
Merritt said he struggled to contact his son for approximately an hour because of poor internet connectivity, leaving him uncertain whether his son was safe.
“I wanted him to get to safety,” he said. “I was upset.”
The Citibank Center is located in the Sabal Park business district near Interstate 75 and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, approximately 13 miles east of downtown Tampa.
The large corporate complex contains multiple office buildings and serves as a major employment center for Citigroup’s operations in the Tampa Bay region.
Citigroup acknowledged the emergency and confirmed that it was cooperating with investigators.
“We are aware of an incident impacting our site in Tampa, Florida and are coordinating with law enforcement,” the company said in a statement.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister described the shooting as an apparent targeted attack in an initial public statement.
“We believe this is a targeted incident,” Chronister said, according to ABC News.
Authorities had not explained what evidence led investigators to that preliminary conclusion or whether the suspect had an employment, business or personal connection to the victim or Citibank.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was also expected to assist with the investigation, according to ABC News.
Losat said the rapid response reflected extensive training and coordination among law enforcement agencies for active-shooter emergencies.
“This is a sad day for everybody involved, the Tampa Bay Area and surrounding communities and law enforcement partners,” he said.
Investigators planned to continue interviewing witnesses and examining evidence Wednesday night and Thursday morning to establish the sequence of events and determine the motive.
The sheriff’s office asked anyone possessing information or video footage of the incident to contact investigators.
As of Wednesday afternoon, authorities had confirmed two deaths, including the gunman, and four additional hospitalizations. The identities of those involved and the circumstances surrounding the attack remained under investigation.
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