Tampa Citibank Shooting: Man Kills HR Worker Over $2,500 Debt
The gunman threatened a Citibank attorney with an AR-15 before crashing into the office complex and firing on employees.
By Austin Reed ·
A $2,556.40 credit card debt triggered a deadly attack at a Citibank office complex in Tampa, Florida, according to Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. The sheriff explained that Jacob Pearson, 35, targeted the campus out of frustration over an unpaid balance. Pearson killed one employee before being shot dead by a security guard on Wednesday.
Pearson drove roughly 90 miles from his home in Orlando to the Citibank location in suburban Tampa. He crashed his vehicle through a perimeter fence and drove into a courtyard where staff were eating lunch. Chronister said Pearson exited his car carrying a rifle and fired at the first person he saw. The weapon jammed after three shots, so the gunman retrieved a handgun from his car and fired again at the same victim.
The victim was identified as Leann Selman, a 41-year-old human resources employee who had worked for the bank for nine years. Ed Skyler, a spokesperson for Citigroup, described Selman as a beloved colleague. Chronister stated there was zero connection between Selman and Pearson. The sheriff noted that Pearson intended to hunt down any person he could find.
About three hours before the shooting, Pearson called an attorney affiliated with Citibank. During that conversation, he threatened to show up at the office with his AR-15, a bulletproof vest, and his insanity unless the lawyer canceled an upcoming court hearing. Court records from Orange County show Citibank filed a complaint against Pearson on October 23 regarding the debt. A summons was issued for him to appear at a hearing scheduled for February 15.
Pearson brought 90 rounds of ammunition to the campus but fired only 15 times before he was stopped. As employees fled the gunfire, Pearson entered the building and moved through a cafeteria. A member of Citibank's armed security team shot him five times. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Law enforcement was already on alert for Pearson after the attorney reported the threat.
Sheriff's investigators completed evidence collection at the site by early Thursday. Citigroup told employees they could continue working remotely. Skyler said the company will not demand that staff return to the scene on Monday or in the immediate future. He emphasized the need to acknowledge the traumatic events experienced by the colleagues present.
Pearson's wife and mother did not immediately respond to requests for comment from news outlets. Police visited Pearson's home in Orlando after the incident, where his wife said he had already left. Deputies from Hillsborough County had just arrived at the Citibank complex to provide additional security when the shooting began.
