Citibank Center deadly shooting: What we know about the suspect

BRANDON, Fla. - An Orlando man with no prior criminal record drove over an hour to a Hillsborough County corporate campus Wednesday morning, hunting down workers over a delinquent $2,500 credit card bill before a security officer fatally shot him inside a cafeteria, according to Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. 

Suspect background and motive

What we know:

Authorities identified the gunman as 35-year-old Jacob Pearson of Orlando. Pearson was married and had a 7-year-old child, with no prior criminal record before Wednesday's deadly rampage.

Chronister said the violence began after Pearson received a court summons over a delinquent $2,500 payment he owed to Citibank. Pearson called an attorney's office contracted by the bank for collections around 9 a.m. Wednesday, furious about the pending legal action.

Phone threats before attack

The backstory:

During the phone call, investigators said Pearson gave the collection firm an ultimatum, warning that he was armed and prepared to kill if the court summons was not dismissed.

The sheriff said Pearson told the office: "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."

Citibank's head of security, a retired Secret Service agent, treated the warning as an active threat and notified authorities. Officers with the Orlando Police Department went to Pearson's home for a welfare check, but his wife told officers he had already left while visibly angry without revealing his destination.

Courtyard ambush and execution

Timeline:

Pearson drove to the Citibank Center in Hillsborough County, crashing his car directly through a courtyard gate just as sheriff's deputies were arriving on scene. He stepped out of his vehicle and immediately shot 41-year-old learning advisor LeAnne Selmon three times before his rifle malfunctioned, according to Chronister. 

The sheriff said when Selmon tried to crawl away to save her life, Pearson returned to his car to retrieve a handgun, walked back over, and executed her. Pearson then entered the campus cafeteria, where about 3,200 employees were on campus running for safety or hiding, according to HCSO. 

Standoff with security guard

What they're saying:

Chronister said Pearson walked into the cafeteria intent on finding more victims before encountering John Fraley, a Citibank security guard, vice president of operations, and trained Marine Corps veteran. Fraley took a tactical position inside the men's restroom and opened fire as Pearson shot back, striking Pearson five times, according to the sheriff. 

"He was there intent on one purpose and that purpose was to hunt any human being he could find and kill," the sheriff said. "Because of the heroic actions of this Citibank security officer, vice president of operations, his reign of terror ended before it even began."

Paramedics transported Pearson to Tampa General Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Mass evacuation and injuries

By the numbers:

Four other employees sustained injuries during the frantic mass exit from the campus following Pearson's gunfire. One worker suffered a busted lip, another had abrasions from a fall, one man experienced chest pains, and a pregnant woman went to the hospital as a precaution, according to HCSO. 

All four individuals were treated and released from medical care. 

Details under ongoing investigation

What we don't know:

Investigators have not disclosed how Pearson acquired the AR-15 rifle, handgun, and bulletproof vest he used in the attack. Officials also have not confirmed whether Pearson had any past interaction with Selmon prior to encountering her in the courtyard.

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