Two people, including an armed suspect, died Wednesday afternoon after a shooting at the Citibank Center campus in Brandon, authorities said.
According to Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Frank Losat, an armed driver smashed a tiny four-door vehicle over security fencing and into an outdoor workers’ lunch area shortly after noon. The suspect jumped out of the van with a rifle and fatally shot a woman eating in the lunch area. The victim’s name has yet to be released by authorities.
Four minutes after the first 911 calls were received, an armed Citibank security guard engaged the gunman in the restaurant. Losat claimed the two exchanged gunfire and the suspect was shot. Paramedics took the suspect to Tampa General Hospital, where he was declared dead.
In addition to the woman who died, four other people were treated at a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office earlier portrayed the shooting as a targeted attack, but detectives have not established whether the perpetrator and victim knew each other.
Within minutes, more than 360 deputies, SWAT teams, and assisting local, state, and federal law enforcement personnel arrived at the complex. During the attack, there were around 3,200 personnel on the corporate complex. Officers secured the area by searching and clearing multiple three-story buildings for two and a half hours.
During the immediate response, the sheriff’s office set up staging areas to manage staff and concerned families. The organization established a triage center in the parking lot of the neighboring Sheraton Tampa Brandon Hotel and instructed employees’ families to gather at the Staybridge Suites Tampa East on Queen Palm Drive.
Officials thanked the security officer on the scene for stopping the perpetrator before any further casualties happened.
“We ended the threat. Citibank’s security man intervened and averted the danger. Was there any other possibility for violence? Absolutely,” Losat stated. “Kudos to that security guard.”
Witness interviews and the criminal inquiry are scheduled to continue into the night.
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