“Shooter is down,” an officer declared as deputies stormed Citibank’s Tampa campus hunting a rifle-wielding gunman who had already killed one woman and injured four others.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office released bodycam footage Wednesday showing the chaotic law enforcement response to the deadly shooting at the sprawling corporate park where bank employees were eating lunch. Dispatchers received the first 911 calls reporting shots fired at 12:11 p.m., with deputies arriving within one minute, according to the sheriff’s office.
Chaotic video shows a deputy asking bystanders for a description of the suspect as officers arrived at the scene. The deputy then reported that a vehicle had crashed into the building and that the suspect was inside the cafeteria.
Authorities also released 911 audio capturing a caller reporting gunfire at Citibank as dispatchers coordinated the response, including how to enter the building. The footage shows deputies escorting civilians out of the building after the officer’s declaration that the shooter was down.
Citibank analyst Adara Evans, 22, was having lunch in an outdoor courtyard when she heard a loud bang and saw a gray car crash through a fence and plough into tables, she told the Tampa Bay Times. The gunman exited the vehicle and approached a female victim with a rifle, according to HCSO Chief Deputy Frank Losat.
“I just thought to myself, ‘I have to find my sister to make sure she’s OK,'” Evans said. Her sister also works on the campus, and Evans ran into a nearby building before hearing gunshots.
The gunman, described as shirtless and obese, was fatally shot by an armed Citibank security guard during a shootout. He was later pronounced dead at Tampa General Hospital. The security guard’s intervention drew praise from authorities.
“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,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement.
The female victim has not been publicly identified while police investigate a possible motive. It was not immediately known if she and the suspect knew each other. Four other people were injured in the incident, though no further details were given about their injuries or conditions.
Losat addressed reporters as the investigation continued. “We are very fluid at this stage in the investigation. This is a sad day for everyone involved,” he said.
The gunman drove into the Citibank Center complex, crashed through a fence into an outdoor dining area, and opened fire with a rifle in what authorities described as an attack intent on killing as many people as possible. The security guard engaged him in a shootout that ended the rampage before more lives were lost.
Hillsborough County deputies continue investigating the shooting as the campus remains an active scene.