A Marine veteran working as a security guard at Citibank’s office in Tampa is being hailed as a hero for standing his ground against an irate gunman attempting to go on a killing spree.
Jacob Pearson, the father of a 7-year-old, was upset over a $2,500 debt to Citibank and carried through with the threats he made over the phone in response to collection efforts against him.
Driving from Orlando, the shirtless gunman crashed his car through a gate and shot a woman in the courtyard before going back to his car to get a handgun and executing her while she tried to crawl away, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said.
“THIS IS OUR HERO”: Surveillance video shows the moment a “hero” security guard shot the gunman who killed a woman at Citibank plaza in Tampa on Wednesday. Sheriff Chad Chronister said the security guard, John Fraley, is a Marine Corp veteran.
https://t.co/Br2nW6HjYK https://t.co/XQLndJtVdY— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) November 5, 2026
When Pearson charged into the facility’s cafeteria, he was met by Citibank security guard John Fraley, who took up a tactical position in the men’s restroom. Fraley opened fire, striking Pearson five times, ending the threat. Overall, 3,200 employees were working at the office.
“Unless you want me to go over there with my AR-15, my bulletproof vest, and my insanity, you MFing cancel this court case,” Pearson reportedly told an attorney’s office acting on behalf of Citibank. “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!”
Sheriff Chronister spoke about Fraley’s heroic actions.
“He is an individual that’s afforded an opportunity to carry a firearm because the ones who were either previous law enforcement or military and have that training. Citibank empowers them to carry a handgun,” Chronister said.
“He didn’t have to stop. He could have run and protected his own life, too. He took up a tactical position when he saw the suspect coming and made a decision,” he added. “That decision put his own life at risk to stop that shooter from harming anyone else.”
Here’s additional footage of the incident, as shared on X:
Meet John Fraley. He’s a Marine veteran and a Citibank vice president, and the sheriff says he’s the reason a massacre in Tampa ended before it began.
Newly released security video shows the moment Fraley took down the gunman who stormed Citibank’s campus on Wednesday. Deputies say Jacob Pearson, 35, had threatened to show up with a rifle and a bulletproof vest over a $2,500 credit card debt, and that’s exactly what he did. He crashed through a fence, shot and killed 41-year-old Leanne Selman, a nine-year Citi employee, and then walked into the cafeteria hunting for more victims, armed with 90 rounds. Fraley was waiting. He took cover inside a restroom, traded fire with the gunman, and hit him five times. Even after getting hurt, he stopped the threat. Citibank lets employees with military or police training carry on the job, and on Wednesday, that policy saved lives.
Please also keep Leanne Selman’s family in your prayers.
Should more companies let trained veterans carry on the job like Citibank does?
— Tony Lane 🇺🇸 (@TonyLaneNV) November 5, 2026
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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