A security guard at a Citibank campus near Tampa shot and killed a gunman who had driven through a fence and opened fire on a woman Wednesday, ending an attack that left the woman dead and four other people injured, authorities said.
The violence erupted during lunch at the Sabal Park business campus in Brandon, where roughly 3,200 Citi employees were on the property.
Hillsborough County sheriff’s officials said the attacker drove a sedan across medians and grass before crashing into outdoor tables occupied by workers.
The driver emerged with a rifle, approached a woman and shot her, according to Chief Deputy Frank Losat. The woman died, and four surviving victims were taken to a hospital with injuries authorities described as not life-threatening.
The attacker then entered the building’s cafeteria, where an armed Citi security guard confronted him. The two exchanged gunfire, and the guard fatally shot the suspect.
“Kudos to that security guard,” Losat said at a Wednesday afternoon news conference, noting that the confrontation could have ended with additional victims if the gunman had not been stopped.
The sequence unfolded within minutes. Deputies received multiple 911 calls at approximately 12:11 p.m., arrived at 12:12 p.m. and the guard shot the attacker at approximately 12:13 p.m., Losat said.
Investigators have not released the names of either the dead woman or the gunman, and have not established whether they knew each other. Sheriff Chad Chronister initially called the shooting a “targeted incident,” but officials cautioned that their investigation was still in its early stages.
One witness, Citi analyst Adara Evans, told the Tampa Bay Times that she was eating lunch outside with coworkers when she heard a bang and saw a car smash through a fence into the tables. She ran indoors, worried about her sister, who was working in another building on campus. The sisters later reunited.
Another employee, identified as Douglas, told FOX 13 that he was serving customers at a food-court station when people suddenly rushed past him. At first, he thought a fight had broken out.
Cherron Martin was attending a town hall gathering in the cafeteria when she heard the crash and saw a man get out of the vehicle. She fled toward a parking garage after someone warned that he had guns.
The response brought approximately 367 Hillsborough County deputies to the campus, along with specialized units and federal agencies. Officers searched the buildings room by room, clearing the property after roughly two and a half hours.
Authorities declared the active threat over Wednesday afternoon but urged people to stay away while investigators processed evidence and interviewed witnesses. Workers were directed to a reunification area in a nearby parking lot.
Hillsborough Community College’s nearby Brandon campus was placed on lockdown during the emergency and received an all-clear afterward. Citi said it was coordinating with law enforcement.
Sources cited by the New York Post suggested the attack involved a vendor rather than Citi employees. Investigators had not publicly confirmed that characterization or disclosed a motive, and expected interviews to continue into the night.
In a separate shooting in Washington state, a Spokane County sheriff’s deputy died after gunfire erupted during a response to a domestic violence call Tuesday. A second deputy remained on life support Wednesday and was not expected to survive, officials said.
The encounter began after a woman fled to a neighbor’s home and reported that her brother had shot her. Deputies responding to the residence learned that the suspected gunman had an active felony arrest warrant, access to multiple firearms and that other victims might still be inside.
The sheriff’s office called in a SWAT team. As deputies approached and attempted to enter the home, someone inside opened fire.
“SWAT team members and deputies approached the house, attempted to breach the door and were met with gunfire,” Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said during a news conference.
Officers returned fire and pulled two wounded deputies to safety. Both were taken to a hospital, along with the woman who had initially sought help. Her injuries were described as not life-threatening.
Investigators subsequently found one person dead inside the residence and another body in the yard. The suspect was also found dead on the property. Authorities had not released the identities of those three people or detailed the circumstances of each death.
By Wednesday, the sheriff’s office confirmed that one of the injured deputies had died. He left behind a wife and two children. The second deputy remained on life support, with officials saying he was not expected to recover.
“Although we know our deputies knew the risks, they bravely moved toward danger to protect others they did not know,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
“They did this with honor and with an unwavering sense of duty to their oath to serve and protect the citizens of Spokane County; they heroically placed themselves in mortal danger,” the statement continued.
The department described the deputies as “the best of all of us” as colleagues mourned the fatality and confronted the condition of the second wounded officer.
“As an organ donor, arrangements are being considered and he will continue to serve others with the gift of life,” the sheriff’s office said of the deputy on life support.
