Gunman who tried to breach FBI Ohio office killed in standoff

An armed man who fled after attempting to breach an FBI office in the US state of Ohio was killed in a standoff with police, authorities said Thursday.

The incident drew nationwide attention as it occurred only a few days after the Federal Bureau of Investigation searched former president Donald Trump’s Florida home, infuriating right-wing circles, although there was no immediate indication the events were linked.

The FBI said Thursday morning that a person armed with a weapon had tried to “breach” the entry to the bureau’s office in the Ohio city of Cincinnati.

“Upon the activation of an alarm and a response by armed FBI special agents, the subject fled,” the FBI said in a statement.

According to local media, the man fired a nail gun and brandished an AR-15-style rifle before fleeing by car.

A police spokesman said the vehicle was pursued by law enforcement and that it stopped in a rural area.

“Once the vehicle came to a stop, gunfire was exchanged between officers on the scene and the suspect,” the spokesman said.

Officers then attempted to negotiate with the suspect, but he did not surrender, the spokesman told a press conference after the standoff ended.

After the suspect raised a weapon towards the police, officers shot him and “he succumbed to his injuries at the scene,” the spokesperson said.

NBC reported that the suspect, according to three people aiding law enforcement, could be seen in photos of the January 6 attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters, but it was unclear whether he went inside.

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday denounced threats made against the FBI following the raid on Trump’s residence, calling them “deplorable and dangerous.”

“Violence against law enforcement is not the answer no matter who you’re upset with,” Wray said.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday he had “personally approved” the search of Trump’s palatial Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, but was awaiting a court order to unseal the warrant before discussing the circumstances further.

US media outlets said it was related to the potential mishandling of classified documents sent to Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House in January 2021.