Citibank Shooting in Tampa: Gunman Kills Citi Employee at Sabal Center Before Security Guard Shoots Him

A gunman drove a car into a courtyard on Citibank’s large Tampa office campus at lunchtime Wednesday, Nov. 4, and shot and killed a woman. An armed Citibank security guard then confronted him inside and fatally shot him, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said. Citi CEO Jane Fraser said the woman was a Citi employee. Four other people were treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.

Authorities have not released the names of the victim or the gunman, and no motive has been announced.

What happened at the Citibank Center

The shooting happened at the Sabal Center office park, 3800 Citibank Center, off Falkenburg Road near Interstate 75, just west of Brandon. Here is the timeline from the sheriff’s office and local reports:

• 12:11 p.m.: The sheriff’s 911 center began receiving calls reporting shots fired.
• Before that: Chief Deputy Frank Losat said the man drove over several medians, crashed through a fence into a secure area and stopped in an outdoor seating area where employees were eating lunch. He got out with a rifle, walked up to a woman and shot her, WTSP and WUSF reported. She died at the scene.
• Within a minute: The first marked deputy unit arrived, and deputies went into the building. Reports differ slightly on whether that was at 12:12 or 12:15 p.m.
• About 12:15 p.m.: In the building’s cafeteria, an armed Citibank security guard confronted the gunman, and the two exchanged gunfire, according to WTSP and FOX 13.
• 12:24 p.m.: The gunman was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:12 p.m., the sheriff’s office said.

Bodycam video released by the sheriff’s office captured a deputy relaying, “Shooter is down,” WUSF reported.

“Intent on killing as many people as possible”

Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement that the victim “was killed by an individual who was intent on killing as many people as possible.” He credited the on-site security team and the deputies who responded with stopping the suspect “before he could harm anyone else.”

Losat also praised the guard. “Was there a potential for further violence? Absolutely,” he told reporters, adding, “So kudos to that security guard.”

CNBC reported that the sheriff said he believed it was a targeted incident. The sheriff’s office has not said whether the gunman and the woman knew each other. Those two descriptions have not been reconciled publicly, and investigators have not explained a motive.

A massive response and evacuation

About 3,200 people were on the campus at the time, according to the sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office said 367 of its deputies responded, including SWAT, aviation, drone and K9 units, along with local, state and federal agencies. WUSF reported more than 400 law enforcement units in total.

Deputies cleared six or seven three-story buildings. The sheriff’s office said that took about two hours, while WTSP and WUSF reported about two and a half hours. Employees were led out with their hands raised and reunited with family at the Staybridge Suites Tampa East, WTSP reported.

What Citi said

In a memo to staff reported by CNBC, Fraser said the bank was still learning what happened and working closely with law enforcement. “The Tampa campus is secure, and we are adding additional security to all of our other sites as necessary,” she wrote. Citigroup said earlier that it was aware of an incident and was cooperating with authorities, WUSF reported.

What we don’t know yet

• The names of the victim and the gunman
• A motive, or whether the two knew each other
• How the four other people were hurt
• Details about the security guard, who has not been publicly identified

The sheriff’s office is handling the case as a homicide investigation, and more details may come as it continues.

FAQ