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A gunman was killed Wednesday in a shootout with a security guard after fatally shooting a woman at a Citibank office complex outside Tampa.
The gunman crashed his car into an outdoor seating area where workers were having lunch before getting out and opening fire in what police believe was a targeted attack.
Hundreds of officers rushed to the scene shortly after noon following multiple reports of shots fired at the sprawling Florida shopping complex.
An armed Citibank security officer sprang into action, confronted the shooter in the cafeteria and a shootout ensued. The shooter was injured and died at the hospital, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.
“No one in this agency or any federal agencies hesitated to respond and engage with this suspect,” said Deputy Chief Frank Losat. “Was there potential for further violence? Absolutely. So kudos to that security guard.”
Haunting video shows the shooter running across the yard with a rifle as he approaches the victim. His motive and whether he knew the woman were not immediately clear.
Four people were treated at a local hospital for their injuries, but Losat did not know whether they were shot or struck by the shooter’s vehicle.
Thousands of employees evacuated
There were 3,200 Citibank employees on campus at the time of the shooting. Television images showed long lines of employees streaming out of office buildings as more than 365 officers swarmed the suburban Tampa complex.
David Dzien, vice president of Citibank, said The Associated Press he was returning to work after lunch when he saw the shooter’s sedan crash through a fence about 150 yards (137 yards) away from him. He said an “unbelievable noise” followed and he later realized it was gunshots.
People near the wrecked car started running and screaming, Dzien said, and he sprinted into the building and evacuated through a fire exit.
“I can still hear that particular type of scream,” he said, “and I’m still trying to process it, frankly.”
He said the shooting happened on a day when “VIPs” who don’t normally work at the complex were present for a “quarterly review.”
“All of a sudden I heard people coming, people screaming,” another witness told the local CBS affiliate. WTSP. “I heard people running everywhere, then I saw a big group of people, panicked faces, then I heard three gunshots.”
Concerned parent Doug Merritt said The Associated Press that his son called him from the Citibank campus to tell him he had run away after hearing gunshots.
“He was very close to it,” Merritt said. “He left all those things where he was and he was able to get away with it.”
Merritt didn’t know if his son was safe for about an hour as he struggled to contact him despite a poor internet connection.
“I wanted him to get to safety,” he said. “I was upset.”
Citigroup said in a statement that it was “aware of an incident” at the complex and was cooperating with police.
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