TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa police say they're investigating after finding "suspicious" items on a man who took his own life Wednesday afternoon in the parking lot of the Florida Department of Transportation office.
The scene was cleared Thursday morning and traffic impacts were resolved.
The receptionist at the FDOT office received a call just after 3:30 p.m. from a man making suicidal statements and saying he was in the parking lot with a bomb, according to Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw.
Bercaw said the man wanted to hurt people and threatened to drive his car into the building.
"It's clear that this subject was here to cause harm," the police chief said.
Police arrived within minutes to find a man in a blue SUV in the parking lot.
"As officers approached the vehicle, the man put a gun to his head. As officers attempted to engage the subject in conversation, he shot himself," the police department wrote.
The Tampa Police Bomb Team was dispatched to search the car. They reportedly found "suspicious-looking items," including wires, multiple handguns, multiple high-capacity magazines and multiple tanks of gas. The team is continuing to go through the car "methodically" with the help of robots, according to Bercaw.
FDOT and FHP staff were evacuated from their offices out of an abundance of caution. McKinley Drive was also closed to traffic.
In an update on Wednesday night, Bercaw said the man was 60 years old but did not release further details about his identity.
The police chief also commended the FDOT receptionist, saying he was "excellent" in staying calm and deescalating the situation until officers arrived.
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis is urged to reach out for help. You can contact the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay at 211 or call 911. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached at 988.