Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister has named the man who died in Wednesday’s shooting at a Citibank complex. As per BayNews9, the sheriff said the security guard who shot the armed suspect was a hero.
Who was the suspect?
According to BayNews9, the suspect is Jacob Pearson, 35, of Orlando. The sheriff said Pearson was married and had a 7-year-old child. As per Chronister, Pearson had no earlier criminal record. He died at a local hospital.
Chronister said the suspect was carrying 90 rounds of ammunition. “Our suspect took one life, and that’s one life too many,” the sheriff said, as per BayNews9.
What happened before the shooting
According to Chronister, Pearson called an attorneys office at about 9am on Wednesday. The office is hired by Citibank for collection. As per the sheriff, Pearson was angry about a summons over a $2,500 payment.
Chronister said Pearson told them, “unless you want me to go over there with my AR-15,” to cancel the case.
{{/usCountry}}Chronister said Pearson told them, “unless you want me to go over there with my AR-15,” to cancel the case.
{{/usCountry}}As per the sheriff, the attorneys office then told Citibank security. Chronister said Orlando police went to Pearson’s home for a welfare check, but he was not there. According to the sheriff, Pearson’s wife has been helping investigators.
Who was killed and who was injured
As per BayNews9, the shooting happened just after noon at the complex near Interstate 75 and Dr Martin Luther King, Jr Boulevard. A woman was also killed. Chronister identified her as Leanne Selmon, 41, of Palm Harbor, who had worked at Citibank for nine years.
The sheriff said the security guard’s name is John Fraley. He said four people had injuries that were not life-threatening, and some of them likely got hurt while running away.
A Citibank employee at Thursday’s news conference said help is being offered to staff who are struggling after the shooting. He said the company is thankful for its security team and local police.
How the attack unfolded
According to WFLA, Chief Deputy Frank Losat said the attack began when the suspect drove a small, silver sedan through a grassy area into a fenced part of the Citibank plaza. As per Losat, he crashed into an outdoor eating area where people were having lunch. He had a rifle and a handgun, and he shot a woman who was lying on the ground.
Losat said multiple 911 calls came in at about 12:11pm local time, and the first deputies arrived a minute later. By then, Citibank’s armed security had already dealt with the suspect. “Both individuals exchanged gunfire. The suspect was shot, transported to Tampa General Hospital, where he is deceased,” Losat said.
According to WFLA, about 3,200 Citibank employees were evacuated from the site.