Citibank Campus Attack Leaves Two Dead After Shooter Crashes Vehicle Into Courtyard
A security guard killed the gunman after he opened fire with a rifle at a Tampa office complex where 3,200 people were working.
By Andrew Bennett ·
Two people died at a Citibank business campus in Tampa on Wednesday after a suspect drove his car into a courtyard and opened fire with a rifle. Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Frank Losat said a security guard shot the gunman dead in a cafeteria after the initial attack. The victim was a woman. Authorities have not released the names of either person or stated whether they knew each other.
Losat described the chaos of the incident, noting that the suspect crashed his vehicle into outdoor tables where employees were eating lunch. At the time of the attack, approximately 3,200 people were on the campus. Four other individuals were transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Losat did not specify if those four were struck by the car or hit by gunfire.
David Dzien, a Citibank vice president, was returning from lunch when he saw the shooter’s sedan crash through a fence 150 yards away. He described hearing an “incredible clatter” that he later identified as gunfire. Dzien sprinted back into the building and evacuated via a fire escape. He noted that the complex was hosting a quarterly review, which brought in visitors who did not normally work there.
The police response was rapid. Losat stated that deputies began arriving within one minute of the first 911 call. More than 360 deputies, many in tactical gear, swarmed the scene. They spent two and a half hours searching the affected building and adjacent structures. Radio traffic from the scene indicated a floor-by-floor search as officers found people sheltering in locked rooms and closets.
Nearby, the Sheraton Tampa Brandon Hotel sheltered approximately 300 Citibank workers. General Manager Matt Chauvin said employees ran to the front desk during a monthly luncheon to report an active shooter. The hotel staff locked the doors initially but then allowed the workers inside. Staff provided water and lunch, and some employees used hotel rooms to decompress or make phone calls. Chauvin noted that the hotel’s distance from the campus kept the workers safe.
Citigroup issued a statement saying it was aware of the incident and cooperating with authorities. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has not announced a motive. The campus consists of four three-story office buildings that house thousands of employees for the banking firm.
The next step in the investigation involves the release of the victims' and shooter's names, which had not been done as of the latest updates. Authorities continue to process the scene at the suburban Tampa location.
