An armed man who tried to breach the FBI building in Cincinnati, Ohio, was later killed in a shootout with police on Thursday, following a car chase and a long standoff in a cornfield, officials said.
Police had yet to identify the dead man and during a pair of news briefings would not comment on his motive. The New York Times and NBC News cited unnamed sources as having identified the man as Ricky Shiffer, 42.
Lt. Nathan Dennis of the Ohio Highway Patrol speaks with reporters about the attempted attack on the FBI building in Cincinnati, at a press staging area near Wilmington, Ohio, U.S., August 11, 2022. REUTERS/Jeffrey Dean
An NBC News reporter, citing two unnamed law enforcement officials, said on Twitter the suspect was at the US Capitol building in Washington during the assault by supporters of then-President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021.
Some Trump supporters claim a grievance with the FBI over his entanglements with the agency which have included its probe into Russia’s support for his 2016 presidential campaign and the court-authorized search of his Florida home on Monday.
The Ohio incident began early on Thursday when the suspect unsuccessfully tried to enter the FBI’s visitor screening facility. He then fled the area in a white vehicle, heading northbound on Interstate 71, the FBI said.
A chase ensued and the suspect fired his weapon at a state trooper, Ohio State Highway Patrol spokesman Nathan Dennis told a news briefing.
In this still image taken from WKEF/WRGT video, members of the FBI Evidence Response Team work outside the FBI building in Kenwood, Ohio, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022. (Courtesy WKEF/WRGT via AP)
The vehicle eventually came to a stop and gunfire was exchanged between the suspect and police officers, he said. No police were injured, he added.
“Throughout the day today law-enforcement officers attempted to negotiate with the suspect. After a time the negotiations failed,” Dennis said.
“The suspect then did raise a firearm toward law enforcement and shots were fired by law enforcement officers on the scene,” Dennis said. He said the suspect died at the site.
The FBI has been the subject of online threats since its agents searched Trump’s Florida estate on Monday as part of an investigation into documents removed from the White House when he left office in January 2021.
The New York Times, citing two unnamed law enforcement officials familiar with the matter, said investigators were looking into whether the suspect had ties to extremist groups.