Florida man allegedly ‘irate’ over $2,500 debt to Citibank. One hour later, sheriff says he started to ‘hunt any human being he could find’

A Florida man drove to a Citibank corporate office near Tampa and fatally shot the first employee he saw, reportedly upset over a $2,500 debt collection on his credit card, the sheriff confirmed. Jacob Pearson, 35, is accused of killing Leanne Selman, 41, around noon before a “heroic” security guard shot him to death in an exchange of gunfire. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister told reporters at a press conference that Pearson had called a Citibank lawyer earlier that morning, “irate” about receiving a court summons for over $2,500 in delinquent payments.

“Unless you want me to go over there with my AR-15, my bulletproof vest, and my insanity, you m—————— cancel this court case,” Pearson allegedly said regarding his impending court hearing, according to Chronister. “Do you understand me? I am only an hour and three minutes away, so the last thing you want to do is f— with me.” According to the Associated Press, Pearson’s father, Richard Pearson, said he had never seen an indication that his son was capable of carrying out a violent shooting.

Chronister said Citibank’s security team and law enforcement were alerted after the attorney reported the threat on Wednesday morning. Police went to Pearson’s home in Orlando, but his wife told them he had already left. The security guard also contacted the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office to report the threat. As the deputies were arriving on scene and speaking with the security guard, Chronister claimed they heard gunshots.

The terror ended immediately

Pearson allegedly drove through the gate into the courtyard. He got out of his car and walked up to the “first person” he saw and shot her three times, Chronister said. The rifle jammed. “This suspect goes back returns back to his car, retrieves his handgun, walks back over to the victim, who’s trying to crawl away with her life, and executes her.”

Pearson entered the cafeteria, causing several people to flee, and continued farther into the building. According to Chronister, the guard took a tactical position in the men’s restroom after hearing gunshots. As the suspect entered, the security guard engaged him in a gunfight, firing several rounds and striking the suspect five times. The guard was identified as John Fraley, a former Marine who serves as a vice president of operations. More than 300 law enforcement officers responded and evacuated more than 3,000 employees from the complex in two and a half hours, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Frank Losat told CNN.

Selman, who worked for Citibank for nine years, was pronounced dead on the spot. The sheriff said there was “zero connection” between Selman and her killer. “He was there intent on one purpose, and that purpose was to hunt any human being he could find and kill them,” Chronister said.

Court records in Orange County, where Orlando is located, show Citibank filed a complaint against Pearson on Oct. 23, saying he owed $2,556.40 in credit card debt. According to the court documents, Pearson’s bill for that amount was dated July 4. The court issued a summons for Pearson to appear at a hearing on Feb. 15.

Scott Florin, an attorney specializing in consumer credit card debt, told the Associated Press that banks in Florida generally wait at least six months before suing over missed payments, allowing late fees and other penalties to accumulate. However, the report did not state how long Pearson’s debt was delinquent before the court summons was issued or whether he was given the standard opportunities to resolve the debt before legal proceedings began.