CINCINNATI-
A gunman who tried to break into the FBI office in Cincinnati was shot and killed by police after he fled the scene, sparking an hour-long standoff Thursday afternoon, the Cincinnati State Highway Patrol said. Ohio.
The man, who has not been identified, was shot after he pointed a gun at police, said Lt. Nathan Dennis, a patrol spokesman.
The shooting occurred shortly after 3 pm The man, wearing a bulletproof vest, fled the FBI office, drove toward Interstate 71, then pulled off the highway and abandoned his car on a nearby rural road.
The confrontation came as authorities warned of increased threats against federal agents in the days after a raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
THIS IS A LAST MINUTE UPDATE. The previous AP story follows below.
CINCINNATI (AP) – An Ohio emergency management agency said a standoff between police and a gunman suspected of trying to break into the FBI office in Cincinnati ended Thursday.
State police previously said the man has “unknown injuries” after he fled and exchanged gunfire with police.
An update posted on the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency’s Facebook page indicated that “law enforcement operations and response” had ended, but did not include information on how the standoff was resolved or the status of the incident. suspicious.
Authorities said the man was wearing a bulletproof vest and was chased down a highway, then abandoned his car on nearby rural roads lined with woods and farm fields just off I-71, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast. from Cincinnati.
The confrontation came as authorities warned of increased threats against federal agents in the days after a raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Federal officials said the man “attempted to breach” the visitor control area at the FBI office and fled when confronted by agents. After fleeing to Interstate 71, a police officer spotted him and fired shots as he chased him, said Lt. Nathan Dennis, a spokesman for the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The suspect exited the interstate north of Cincinnati and abandoned his car on rural roads, where he exchanged gunfire with police. The man has “unknown injuries,” but no one else was injured, the patrol said.
State highway workers blocked roads leading to the scene as a helicopter flew over the area. Officials blocked off a one-mile radius near the interstate and urged residents and business owners to lock their doors and stay inside. The interstate has been reopened.
There have been increasing threats in recent days against FBI agents and offices across the country since federal agents executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago. On Gab, a social networking site popular with white supremacists and anti-Semites, users warned that they are preparing for an armed revolution.
Federal officials have also been tracking a variety of other troubling conversations on Gab and other platforms that threaten violence against federal agents. FBI Director Christopher Wray denounced the threats when he visited another FBI office in Nebraska on Wednesday.
“Violence against law enforcement is not the answer, no matter who you’re mad at,” Wray said Wednesday in Omaha.
On Wednesday, the FBI also warned its agents to avoid protesters and ensure their security cards “are not visible outside of FBI space,” citing an increase in social media threats to staff and facilities. of the Office. He also warned officers to be aware of their surroundings and potential protesters.
The warning did not specifically mention this week’s Mar-a-Lago search, but attributed the online threats to “recent media reports of FBI investigative activity.”