A man enraged over a $2,500 debt shot and killed a Citibank employee in Tampa before being fatally

Orlando Man Kills Citibank Worker Over $2,500 Debt, Shot by Guard

A man enraged over a $2,500 debt shot and killed a Citibank employee in Tampa before being fatally shot by a security guard in a chaotic attack Wednesday morning, Fox35Orlando reported. Jacob Pearson, 35, drove from Orlando to the Citibank Center after calling an attorney’s office with explicit death threats related to a collection case, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

The violence unfolded as deputies were arriving at the corporate campus. Pearson crashed his car through a courtyard security gate and immediately shot 41-year-old LeAnne Selman three times. When Selman tried to crawl away, Pearson’s firearm malfunctioned. He then retrieved a second handgun from his vehicle and executed her, Sheriff Chad Chronister said.

Security guard credited with stopping deadly shooting Wednesday at Citibank office in Tampa, Florida

The Attack Escalates

After killing Selman, Pearson entered the cafeteria, sending 3,200 employees into a panicked evacuation. Some ran for exits while others hid. Chronister painted a grim picture of the gunman’s intent, saying he was “there intent on one purpose and that purpose was to hunt any human being he could find and kill.”

The rampage was stopped by John Fraley, a Citibank security guard and Marine Corps veteran. Fraley tracked Pearson into a men’s restroom and, taking a tactical position, opened fire. Pearson sustained five gunshot wounds and was transported to Tampa General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

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The Backstory: A Debt Collector’s Warning

The tragedy’s roots were in a delinquent payment. Pearson had received a court summons for a $2,500 debt, prompting him to call the law firm contracted by Citibank for collections. His threat was graphic and direct: “Unless you want me to go over there with my AR-15, my bulletproof vest and my insanity, you mf’ing cancel this court case. Do you understand me? They are only an hour and three minutes away, so the last thing you want to do is f with me.”

The law firm alerted Citibank’s head of security, a retired Secret Service agent, who initiated emergency measures. A welfare check was requested from Orlando police at Pearson’s home, but officers found he had already left. Pearson’s wife told them he had departed the house visibly angry, without saying where he was going. Citibank security then notified the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Tampa Citibank shooting: Security guard killed suspected gunman | WHIO TV

A Life Lost and a Community Shaken

Selman, a resident of Palm Harbor, worked as a human resources learning advisor for Citi Security Investigative Services and had been with the company for nine years. Coworkers remembered her as a beloved colleague. The four other people hurt in the evacuation were treated and released. Their injuries included a cut lip, cuts and bruises from a fall, chest pains, and a precautionary hospital visit for a pregnant worker.

Pearson lived in Orlando with his wife and their 7-year-old child. He had no prior criminal record, and authorities have not revealed how he obtained the firearms used in the attack. Detectives are still investigating why Pearson targeted Selman specifically and whether he had other intended victims inside the building.

Tampa Citibank shooting: Woman killed, suspect fatally shot by security guard

Praise for the Guard Who Stopped the Killing

Sheriff’s officials credited Fraley with preventing a far greater loss of life. “Because of the heroic actions of this Citibank security officer, vice president of operations, his reign of terror ended before it even began,” Chronister said.

For the thousands of employees at Citibank Center, the Wednesday morning attack represents a security breach.