Authorities have identified the man who opened fire at a Citibank campus in Brandon, Florida, killing an employee and injuring 4 others before being shot dead by an armed security guard.
The suspect was identified as Jacob Pearson, 35, while the woman killed in the attack was named as LeAnne Selman, 41. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Thursday that Pearson appeared to have been angry over a legal dispute involving a $2,500 debt connected to Citibank.
Investigators said Pearson contacted an attorney’s office affiliated with the company earlier Wednesday, after being summoned to appear in court over the debt. During the communication, he allegedly threatened to go to the company’s location with an AR-15 rifle and body armor unless the case was canceled. The attorney’s office subsequently alerted a Citibank security supervisor, who contacted law enforcement.
Despite the warning, Pearson reached the Citibank campus around midday. He drove a gray sedan over several medians, across a grassy area and through a secured fence before crashing into an outdoor seating area where employees were having lunch.
Pearson then exited the vehicle carrying a rifle and shot Selman, who was in the dining area. According to Chronister, she was the first person he encountered. Selman had worked in Citibank’s human resources department for 9 years.
Pearson entered the building carrying approximately 90 rounds of ammunition. After the rifle malfunctioned, he reportedly returned to his vehicle, retrieved a handgun and shot Selman again as she was on the ground.
An armed Citibank security guard, described by officials as a former Marine, confronted Pearson inside the cafeteria. The two exchanged gunfire, and Pearson was wounded. He was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The security guard’s identity has not been publicly released. The 4 other people injured in the attack were reported to be stable and have since been released from the hospital.