Gunman in Citibank shooting was angry over court case, drove to Tampa from Orlando

Citibank office shooter targeted company over a $2,500 debt collection, Florida sheriff says Advertisement Updated: 6:34 PM EST Nov 5, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Dacia Johnson Digital Journalist Citibank office shooter targeted company over a $2,500 debt collection, Florida sheriff says Updated: 6:34 PM EST Nov 5, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Dacia Johnson Digital Journalist A gunman who killed a woman before being fatally shot by a security guard at Citibank’s sprawling office complex in Tampa targeted the campus because he was angry over a $2,500 debt collection, a sheriff said Thursday. About three hours before Wednesday's shooting, Jacob Pearson called an attorney affiliated with Citibank and threatened violence, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said at a news conference on Thursday. Advertisement Pearson told the attorney's office to cancel the court case, saying, "Unless you want me to go over there with my AR-15, my bulletproof vest, and my insanity, you [expletive] cancel this court case. Do you understand me? They are only an hour and 3 minutes away ..." The attorney's office called Citibank security, who determined it was a credible threat and called Orlando police for a welfare check on the suspect. When the police arrived at Pearson's house, his wife told officers he was gone, but she didn't know where he went. She told officers her husband was angry, got in his car, and left. Pearson, 35, from Orlando, had no criminal record. Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Tampa shooting suspect Police gave Citibank the update, contacted the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and deputies headed to the bank campus. Woman shot, killed When deputies arrived, they heard gunshots, the sheriff's office said. That's when Pearson crashed his car into a gate and exited with a rifle. He then shot one victim, returned to his car for his handgun and again shot the same victim, who was trying to crawl away. She was identified as 41-year-old Leanne Selman. He then went into the cafeteria, the sheriff's office said, adding he appeared very calm. The sheriff's office said Pearson had 90 rounds of ammunition. Pearson was ultimately shot five times by a security guard and died at the hospital. More than 360 deputies swarmed the campus. Five others were hurt in the shooting. This content is imported from x. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Sheriff Chad Chronister held a press conference with an update on the investigation into yesterday’s shooting at Sabal Center in Tampa. Sheriff Chronister walked through the events of the shooting and recognized John Fraley, the Citibank Vice President and Intelligence Lead… pic.twitter.com/AByuVH2RH7 — HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) November 5, 2026 Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office >> Watch full news conference The Citibank campus in suburban Tampa includes four three-story office buildings that house thousands of the banking giant’s employees. 911 calls This content is imported from x. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. 🚨Sabal Center Shooting Update🚨 HCSO is conducting a homicide investigation following a shooting at Sabal Center in Tampa. At 12:11 p.m., our 911 Dispatch Center received calls of shots fired. Deputies arrived within one minute and entered the building. Inside the cafeteria, a… pic.twitter.com/80loztwgFq — HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) November 5, 2026 Radio traffic on Broadcastify.com from officers who responded to the Citibank complex described an exhaustive floor-by-floor search of the complex's buildings. Officers found people sheltering in locked rooms and closets, and carefully escorted them from the buildings and parking garage. Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office People take cover as a gunman opens fire on a Citibank campus in Tampa on Nov. 4, 2026 This is a developing story and will be updated. The Associated Press contributed to this story. At least 2 killed, including suspect, in Tampa shooting at Citibank Center Make WLWT a preferred source on Google Add Preferred Source Share Infinite Scroll Enabled Top Picks New study links energy drinks to reports of heart attacks and cardiac arrest in young adults 16 midterm races are within 1%. What could happen next? These toys are worth buying for your kids, according to Good Housekeeping experts and kid testers Republican redistricting failed to flip most targeted districts