TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa Police are investigating an incident at 11201 McKinley Dr. where a man has committed suicide.
Just after 3:30 pm on Wednesday, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) staff received a call from a male who stated he was in the parking lot, threatened to have a bomb, and was also making suicidal statements. He also stated plans to drive his car into the building and hurt people.
Tampa Police officers arrived quickly. When they approached the vehicle, the man put a gun to his head. As officers attempted to engage the subject in conversation, he shot himself.
Suspicious items, including wires, were observed in the car. The Tampa Police Bomb Team was dispatched to assess the situation.
Read: Death Investigation Underway After Man Shot And Killed On Busch Blvd. In Tampa
The Tampa Police Bomb Team was on the scene performing a methodical search of the vehicle. During the preliminary vehicle search, officers located two firearms, multiple high-capacity magazines, as well as multiple containers of gasoline.
“Out of an abundance of caution, FDOT and FHP staff were evacuated from their offices, and McKinley Dr. has been closed to traffic,” said police.
“This clearly had the potential for an even more tragic outcome. Detectives will be working to determine the motives that led to this persons actions,” said Chief Bercaw. “In the face of danger, our officers valiantly attempted to encourage this man to see an alternate path for himself. Instead, he died of suicide as the officers actively worked to avoid that result for him. Now the brave members of our Bomb Team will work diligently to ensure no additional threats remain.”
The deceased is a white male in his early 60s. Next of kin notification is pending.
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