Armed man who tried to breach FBI's Cincinnati office killed following police standoff
CINCINNATI, Ohio – An armed man was fatally shot by law enforcement after he attempted to break into the FBI's Cincinnati office and then fled the scene Thursday morning, authorities said.
As troopers pursued his fleeing car on an interstate, the suspect fired shots before pulling off, abandoning his car on a rural road and engaging in an hourslong standoff with police, according an Ohio Highway Patrol spokesperson.
Law enforcement officers shot and killed the suspect at about 3:45 p.m. after he raised his gun toward police, said Lt. Nathan Dennis.
"He succumbed to his injuries at the scene and everything remains under investigation at this time," Dennis said at a press conference.
Authorities have not publicly identified the suspect, but the Associated Press reported that an official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation, identified him as 42-year-old Ricky Shiffer.
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The official said Shiffer was believed to be in Washington in the days leading up to the Jan. 6 attack of the Capitol, and may have been present at the insurrection.
Shiffer was not charged with any crimes in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, the official said.
The suspect attempted to breach the visitor screening facility at around 9 a.m. at the bureau's field office in Cincinnati, the FBI said in a tweet. Officials said the man was wearing body armor. After an alarm went off and special agents responded, the man fled north onto Interstate 71, where he was pursued by Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers.
The man was armed with a nail gun and AR-15, law enforcement sources told NBC and CNN.
Dennis said no officers were injured by the suspect's gunfire.
Clinton County Emergency Management issued a lockdown for all buildings within a one-mile radius of the area and instructed residents and business-owners to lock their doors and remain inside during the standoff.
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The incident came a day after the FBI director warned against threats circulating online against agents and the Justice Department in the wake of the agency’s search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home. On Wednesday, the FBI cited increased social media threats when warning agents to avoid protesters and ensure their security key cards are not visible outside FBI spaces.
FBI Director Christopher Wray reiterated his defense of the bureau after the attempted breach in Cincinnati.
“Unfounded attacks on the integrity of the FBI erode respect for the rule of law and are a grave disservice to the men and women who sacrifice so much to protect others,” Wray said in a statement.
“Violence and threats against law enforcement, including the FBI, are dangerous and should be deeply concerning to all Americans. Every day I see the men and women of the FBI doing their jobs professionally and with rigor, objectivity, and a fierce commitment to our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution. I am proud to serve alongside them."
Contributing: The Associated Press