Florida Man Kills Citibank Employee Over $2,500 Debt Dispute Before Armed Security Guard Stops Rampage

A woman was killed at a Citibank corporate campus in Florida after a gunman allegedly drove nearly 90 miles to the facility, armed with a rifle, a handgun and 90 rounds of ammunition. Authorities say Jacob Pearson, 35, was furious over a credit card debt of approximately $2,500 and had threatened violence against the financial institution just hours before the attack. The shooting unfolded during lunchtime, while thousands of employees were working at the sprawling office complex. It ended only after an armed security officer confronted the gunman and fatally shot him.

The attack happened shortly after noon on November 4, 2026, at Citibank’s corporate campus in the Tampa area. According to Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, Pearson had contacted an attorney working with Citibank’s debt collection efforts around 9 a.m. He was reportedly angry about receiving a court summons related to an unpaid credit card balance of $2,556.40. During the call, Pearson allegedly threatened to arrive at the company’s property with an AR-15 rifle, a bulletproof vest and what he described as his “insanity.” The attorney immediately alerted Citibank’s security team, which contacted law enforcement.

Authorities say Pearson had already left his home in Orlando by the time officers went there to check on him. His wife reportedly told police that he had departed earlier that morning and appeared angry. Law enforcement agencies shared the threat with authorities in the Tampa area, and deputies were dispatched to the Citibank campus. However, as officers were coordinating with the company’s security personnel, gunshots suddenly rang out from an outdoor courtyard.

Investigators say Pearson drove through a security gate and entered the courtyard, where employees were eating lunch. He stepped out carrying a rifle and approached the first person he encountered: 41-year-old Leanne Selman, a Citibank human resources employee. According to the sheriff, Pearson shot her three times before the rifle malfunctioned. He then allegedly returned to his vehicle, retrieved a handgun and went back to Selman, who was still attempting to crawl away. He shot her again, killing her at the scene. Selman had worked for Citibank for nine years, and authorities said she had no known personal connection to Pearson.

After the shooting, Pearson entered the office building and moved through a cafeteria as employees ran for safety. A Citibank security officer named John Fraley, a Marine Corps veteran and the company’s vice president of operations, had taken cover in a men’s restroom after hearing the gunfire. When Pearson approached, the two exchanged shots. Fraley struck Pearson five times, stopping him from moving farther into the building. Pearson was taken to a hospital, where he later died. Sheriff Chronister said the gunman had brought 90 rounds of ammunition to the campus but fired approximately 15 rounds before the attack ended.

The shooting could have resulted in far more casualties. Around 3,200 employees worked at the corporate campus, and several people were treated at hospitals after suffering minor injuries or medical problems while fleeing the scene. No other shooting victims were reported. Citigroup praised its security team for preventing further loss of life and said employees would be allowed to work remotely while the company responded to the traumatic incident. For Selman’s colleagues and loved ones, however, the tragedy has left an irreplaceable loss. Authorities say the attack was connected to Pearson’s anger over the debt collection dispute, but the woman who lost her life had no apparent involvement in his financial case.

Source: Law&Crime