On Wednesday afternoon, an armed security guard employed by Citibank shot and killed a gunman inside the Sabal Center office complex in Tampa, averting what could have been a larger tragedy for the more than 3,200 people present on the corporate campus.
According to the Tampa Free Press, deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of gunfire at 12:11 p.m. at the Sabal Center, located at 3800 Citibank Center near North Falkenburg Road and East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The first unit arrived within a minute and entered the building immediately.
Inside the cafeteria, an armed Citibank security guard confronted the suspect and opened fire, as confirmed by the sheriff’s office. Paramedics transported the suspect at 12:24 p.m. to Tampa General Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead at 1:12 p.m. One victim was killed at the scene; the identities of both the victim and the shooter have not been released.
The sheriff’s office dispatched 367 personnel, including SWAT, aviation, drone, and K‑9 units, along with detectives and additional deputies. In total, more than 400 local, state and federal law‑enforcement personnel responded and cleared the buildings within two hours.
“This was a tragic situation where a victim was killed by an individual who was intent on killing as many people as possible,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “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.”
Body‑camera footage of the incident has been released by the sheriff’s office, and officials are asking anyone with additional video to email it to [email protected].
What’s next: The investigation remains ongoing, with the sheriff’s office reviewing the released footage and any additional material submitted by the public. Authorities have not indicated any further threat to the Sabal Center, but they continue to assess security protocols for large office campuses in the Tampa area.
Sources: tampafp.com
