Citibank Employee Slain After Gunman Crashes Car Into Tampa Campus
Hillsborough County Sheriff says Jacob Pearson attacked the office complex over a $2,500 credit card dispute.
By Eric Collins ·
Jacob Pearson brought 90 rounds of ammunition to a Citibank campus in Tampa before a security guard stopped him.
Pearson fired 15 shots during the attack on Wednesday. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister announced the details at a news conference on Thursday. The gunman killed Leanne Selman, a 41-year-old human resources employee. Pearson died from his own injuries.
Pearson drove about 90 miles from his Orlando home to the Tampa campus. He crashed his car through a fence and drove into a courtyard where employees were eating lunch. Chronister said Pearson exited the vehicle with a rifle and shot the first person he saw. The rifle jammed after three shots. He then took a handgun from his car and shot Selman again.
The sheriff stated that Pearson targeted Citibank over a debt collection issue. About three hours before the shooting, Pearson called an attorney affiliated with the bank. He threatened violence if the lawyer did not cancel a court hearing. Chronister quoted Pearson saying, “unless you want me to go over there with my AR-15, my bulletproof vest and my insanity.” Court records show Citibank filed a complaint on October 23 for $2,556.40 in credit card debt.
Pearson, 35, had no criminal history according to the sheriff. His father, Richard Pearson, said he never saw signs his son could be violent. They last spoke several weeks ago and did not discuss finances. Selman had worked for Citibank for nine years. Ed Skyler, a spokesman for Citigroup, called her a beloved employee. The sheriff noted there was zero connection between the victim and the killer.
After the initial shots, Pearson entered a building and walked through a cafeteria. An executive on the armed security team shot Pearson five times. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. Four other people were treated at a hospital for minor injuries sustained while fleeing. No one else was shot.
Citigroup said employees can work remotely for now. Skyler said the company will not demand staff return to the scene immediately. He added that it is important to recognize the traumatic events their colleagues experienced.
