A gunman entered the campus of the Brandon Citibank Center in Brandon, Florida, on Wednesday, November 4. He unleashed a terrifying attack that left one person dead and at least four others hurt. Now, video has emerged that shows him just prior to when the fatal incident started.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Fox13 Tampa Bay is identifying the alleged shooter as Jacob Pearson, 35. He reportedly did not have a criminal record.
Per The New York Post, employees were having lunch outdoors when the shooter made his way onto the premises. To reach that area, he drove his vehicle right through a fenced area. When he got out of the bashed vehicle, he was holding a long gun, described by the outlet as "an AR-15-style rifle." He did not appear to be making any effort to conceal the weapon.The shirtless, husky man is evidently clad in jeans and boots.
The Gunman Was Shot Dead by a Security Guard
According to CNN, the shooter allegedly owed $2,500 to the bank and had gotten a summons for the debt. The outlet is reporting that at least five people were injured in the attack.
Law enforcement authorities think that the man's intent was to carry out a targeted attack while shooting as many victims as possible.What link, if any, he had to that particular bank or to the people he shot, is unclear. A security guard finally gunned the man down in the cafeteria before he could do commit more mayhem, per Fox13 Tampa Bay. With an estimated 3,200 people on the Citibank campus at that moment, the incident could have been more lethal.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff''s Office Gave an Account of the Incident
On Instagram, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office provided this account of the gunman's rampage. "HCSO is conducting a homicide investigation following a shooting at Sabal Center in Tampa. At 12:11 p.m., our 911 Dispatch Center received calls of shots fired. Deputies arrived within one minute and entered the building. Inside the cafeteria, a Citibank armed security guard shot the suspect, who was later pronounced deceased at TGH. One victim was pronounced deceased on scene."
A massive police response was immediately launched. The statement added, "...More than 400 law enforcement personnel responded, including 367 HCSO deputies. We are grateful to all our partners."
"This was a tragic situation where a victim was killed by an individual who was intent on killing as many people as possible," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "Thanks to the brave actions by the security team on-site and more than 365 deputies, this unhinged suspect was stopped before he could harm anyone else."
