Deputies in Hillsborough County are searching for a brazen robber who was caught on camera shooting and wounding a woman at a drive-up bank depository in Brandon on Wednesday, November 8, 2017.
The incident happened at the Wells Fargo bank located at 204 King Avenue S around 9 p.m. on Wednesday.
The shooting happened when the woman drove her car into the lane to access the outside night depository. Before she could make her deposit, a man with a 9mm pistol, wearing a dark hoodie, approached the front of her car. He yelled at her for the money and he tried to open her car doo but she locked it. The robber fired a bullet into the driver's side rear window. He then shot into the driver's window, hitting the woman in the left leg. The robber grabbed the deposit bag from inside the car and ran away.
The incident was captured on surveillance video.
Deputies say they found the female victim suffering from a gunshot wound to her leg. She was transported to Tampa General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The victim's mother tells us her daughter was dropping off her work deposit with another coworker when the masked gunman approached them.
Heather McBratney tells us her daughter will have to go through extensive therapy to help her walk again as the bullet is still inside her leg.
"She loves her job, she just got promoted," said McBratney, "she is hardworking, dedicated and I just don't know how she's going to be after this."
The sheriff's office is hoping the video will help someone identify the suspect.
"I absolutely want him caught," said McBratney, "for someone to do that, needs to be caught."
A spokesperson with Wells Fargo released a statement late Thursday on the shooting:
“Wells Fargo’s top concern is the safety and well-being of our customers and team members. We are deeply saddened by the robbery at our Brandon location that resulted in the injury of one of our customers. Our thoughts are with her family, and we hope for her full recovery. We are cooperating fully with the authorities in their investigation of this crime, and we are referring all questions to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in order to preserve the integrity of that work.”
Anyone with information reference the suspect is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 247-8200 or anyone with any information regarding the identity or whereabouts of the suspect and who wants to be eligible for a cash reward is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477), report anonymously online at www.crimestopperstb.com or send a mobile tip using our P3 Tips Mobile application, which is a free download for iPhones, iPads and Droids. You must call Crime Stoppers first to be eligible for a reward.
