Citibank office shooter targeted company over $2,500 debt: says Florida sheriff
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By → target → debt
Published Nov. 5, 2026, 9:47 p.m. ET
A gunman who killed a woman before being fatally shot by a security guard at Citibank’s sprawling office complex in Tampa targeted the campus because he was angry over a $2,500 debt collection, a sheriff said Thursday.
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sheriff → publish → collection
About three hours before Wednesday’s shooting, Jacob Pearson called an attorney affiliated with Citibank and threatened violence, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister told a news conference.
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Chronister → call → conference
On the phone, Pearson demanded that the lawyer cancel a court hearing over Pearson’s unpaid credit card debt “unless you want me to go over there with my AR-15, my bulletproof vest and my insanity,” Chronister said.
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Chronister → demand → AR-15
The sheriff said Pearson, 35, had no criminal history.
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Pearson → say → history
Pearson’s father, Richard Pearson, told The Associated Press that he had never seen an indication that his son was capable of carrying out a violent shooting.
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son → tell → shooting
Gunman targeted Citibank, but had ‘zero connection’ to the victim
The attack unfolded as many of the 3,200 employees at Citibank’s campus in suburban Tampa were eating lunch.
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many → target → lunch
Pearson drove from his home in Orlando to Tampa, about 90 miles (144 kilometers) away, crashed his car through a fence at the campus and plowed into a courtyard where employees were eating lunch, Chronister said.
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Chronister → drive → lunch
The sheriff said Pearson got out of his car with a rifle and shot the first employee he saw.
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he → say → employee
His rifle jammed after three shots, he said, and the gunman then retrieved a handgun from his car and again shot the same person, who died.
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who → jam → person
She was identified as 41-year-old Leanne Selman, who worked in human resources.
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who → identify → resources
Selman had worked for Citibank for nine years and was “a beloved employee,” said Ed Skyler, spokesman for Citibank parent Citigroup.
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Skyler → work → Citigroup
The sheriff said there was “zero connection” between Selman and her killer.
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sheriff → say → Selman
“He was there intent on one purpose, and that purpose was to hunt any human being he could find and kill them,” Chronister said.
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Chronister → hunt → them
As employees scattered to flee the gunfire, Pearson entered the building and walked through a cafeteria.
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Pearson → scatter → cafeteria
An executive who is part of Citibank’s armed security team shot the gunman five times before he could hurt anyone else.
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he → shoot → anyone
Pearson was pronounced dead at a hospital.
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Pearson → pronounce → hospital
The violence could have been far worse, the sheriff said.
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sheriff → say → ?
Pearson brought 90 rounds of ammunition to the campus, he said, but fired just 15 times before he was stopped.
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he → bring → campus
No one else was shot, the sheriff said.
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sheriff → shoot → ?
Four people were treated at a hospital for minor injuries from fleeing and medical concerns such as chest pains.
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people → treat → pains
Selman’s father declined to comment when reached by phone Thursday.
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father → decline → phone
The Aporia
