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Man shoots himself outside Hard Rock, officials say

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TBO.com

Published: May 2, 2009

Updated: 05/02/2009 11:49 pm

A 58-year-old man shot himself in the chest outside the lobby of the busy Seminole Hard Rock hotel late Saturday, a tribal spokesman said.

The apparent suicide occurred at about 9 p.m., in the covered area outside the lobby where parking attendants wait for vehicles, said Gary Bitner, spokesman for the Seminole Tribe Police Department.

The man was taken to Tampa General Hospital and has since died, Bitner said. The spokesman declined to release the man's name until the man's family has been notified of his death.

It was not known why the man chose the hotel, Bitner said. The Seminole Tribe Police Department, which is handling the investigation, has recovered a .45-caliber gun.

A man who asked that his name not be used said he was paying for his cabana near the lobby when he heard someone say someone has a gun. Then, he said, he saw people running away from the front door and scampering for cover.

"It's mass hysteria," the witness said. "It looked like Godzilla was coming."

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