The Florida Citibank shooter was enraged over a legal matter with the company when he stormed into a building and shot a female employee execution-style, police said.
Jacob Pearson, 35, crashed a gray sedan before charging into the Citibank campus around noon on Wednesday and shooting LeAnne Selman, 41, four times as she fought for her life, Hillsborough County Sheriff (HCSO) Chad Chronister said at a news conference on Thursday.
His rampage began at around 9am, when he contacted an attorney's office that Citibank contracts with about a summons to appear in court over a $2,500 collection debt he owed.
Pearson, a married father of one, was 'upset and irate' and penned a letter to the company, stating: 'Unless you want me to go over there with my AR-15, my bulletproof vest, and my insanity, you motherf***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.'
The attorney's office then notified a Citibank security supervisor, who is a retired Secret Service agent, and warned him of the threat. The supervisor, in turn, contacted the Orlando Police Department and the HCSO.
After hearing about the threat, local police in Orlando conducted a wellness check on Pearson's home, but he was nowhere to be found.
Instead, his wife told police her husband was angry, got in his car and left.
Chaos then ensued when Pearson crashed into an outer gate with a rifle in his hand and shot the beloved Citibank employee, who was 'the first person he saw,' Chronister said.
Jacob Pearson, 35, stormed into the Citibank corporate building in Tampa, Florida, on Wednesday afternoon after he became enraged over a legal matter with the company
He shot Citibank worker LeAnne Selman, 41, dead. She worked for the company for nine years in the human resources department, officials said
He went on to shoot Selman three times with his rifle before the gun malfunctioned.
At that point, police said, Pearson went back to the car and grabbed a handgun and shot her again as she crawled on the ground.
They had no prior connection, with Chronister calling Selman's presence 'a circumstance of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.'
Footage then captured him walking 'calmly' into the cafeteria, but was soon shot dead by Citibank vice president of operations and Marine Corps veteran John Fraley.
Officials said Pearson went to the headquarters with 90 rounds of ammunition, 15 of which were spent.
'Because of the heroic actions of this Citibank security officer, vice president of operations, his reign of terror ended before it even began,' Chronister said.
Four others who were injured in the shooting have been released.
Terrified Citibank employees were evacuated out of the building during the shooting
Around 9am, Pearson, a married father of one, contacted an attorney's office that is affiliated with the company after being summoned to appear in court over a $2,500 collection debt he owed
Pearson owed the company $2,556.80 for a purchase he made on his My Best Buy Visa Platinum card, according to a complaint reviewed by the Daily Mail.
During the rampage, officers were heard in harrowing 911 radio traffic describing an exhaustive floor-by-floor search of the buildings in the complex.
Officers then found people sheltering in locked rooms and closets, and carefully escorted them from the buildings and parking garages.
Chronister also shared images of the aftermath of the chaos, including pictures that showed women's heels, lunch, water bottles, and other belongings left behind after people ran for their lives.
After providing updates on the deadly shooting, Citigroup's head of Enterprise Services and Public Affairs, Ed Skyler, spoke about the loss the company has faced.
Pearson owed the company $2,556.80 for a purchase he made on his My Best Buy Visa Platinum card, according to a complaint reviewed by the Daily Mail
Women's heels left behind after the chaotic and deadly incident
'Our hearts are heavy, but they are also full of gratitude. We are grateful for the actions of our security team, heroic actions, that prevented this tragedy from becoming even worse,' Skyler said.
He went on to speak of Selman, who he described as a 'valued' and 'beloved' employee who was a 'bright light.'
She had worked for the company for nine years in the human resources department, officials said.
Skyler said that the company is offering counseling resources and will not require employees to return to the office immediately.
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