On noon on November 4th, local time, a serious shooting incident occurred in a large office complex of Citigroup near Tampa, Florida. The incident resulted in the death of two people, including the shooter, and four people were injured.
It is understood that this office complex consists of several low-rise office buildings. Due to Citibank having a large number of legal, compliance, and technology-related departments stationed here, there were approximately 3,200 employees working in the park at the time of the incident.
Video provided by on-site employees to the local television station, along with police reports, recreated the terrifying scene: At around 12 noon, the suspect drove a gray small car at high speed through the safety fence of the park. After crossing several lawn barriers, the vehicle crashed into the outdoor dining area where employees were gathering for lunch.
After the car came to a stop, the gunman got out of the car with a rifle in hand, walked through the courtyard towards a female American employee, and shot her at close range, killing her.
As the situation became chaotic, an armed security guard stationed near the dining area engaged in a direct fight with the gunman. The gunman was shot and was taken to the hospital, where he died from his injuries. The security guard suffered minor injuries.
Video screenshot from a US media report showing a gunman getting out of a destroyed vehicle.
According to Frank Losaert, the deputy chief of the sheriff’s office in Hillsboro County, Florida, less than a minute after the police received the first call of alarm, the first batch of officers arrived at the scene. The police response was massive, with as many as 360 armed and equipped with heavy tactical gear officers and special forces units rushing to the scene for support. It took the ground officers two and a half hours to search and evacuate the central office where the shooting occurred, as well as the adjacent buildings.
County Sheriff Chad Cronister revealed on social media that, based on preliminary information, the police believe this is a “targeted isolated attack” rather than a random, indiscriminate act of violence. The police are still trying to clarify the relationship between the shooter and the victim. According to ABC, there may be an economic dispute between the shooter and that bank.
After the shooting incident, Jan Fraser, CEO of Citigroup, urgently sent an internal memo to employees. In the memo, Fraser confirmed that a female employee had been killed, stating that the news was "extremely distressing." She also said that she is working closely with local law enforcement agencies and has strengthened security measures at other offices.
