An armed man decked out in body armor tried to breach the FBI’s field office in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Thursday, then fled and exchanged gunfire in a standoff with law enforcement, authorities said.
Federal officials said the man had “attempted to breach” the visitor’s screening area in the FBI building and fled when he was confronted by agents. Two law enforcement sources told NBC News that a man got inside and fired a nail gun toward personnel before fleeing in a car.
He was chased onto Interstate 71 and exchanged gunfire with police, according to the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency. A spokesperson for the county agency said the suspect was surrounded in a cornfield, the New York Times reports.
Officials in Ohio have locked down a mile radius near the interstate and urged residents and business owners to lock doors and stay inside.
An FBI evidence team has arrived at the office to investigate, according to multiple media reports.
There have been growing 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 media site popular with white supremacists and antisemites, users have warned they are preparing for an armed revolution.
Federal officials have also been tracking an array of other concerning chatter on Gab and other platforms threatening violence against federal agents. FBI Director Christopher Wray denounced the threats as he visited another FBI office in Nebraska on Wednesday.
“Violence against law enforcement is not the answer, no matter who you’re upset with,” Wray said Wednesday in Omaha.
The FBI on Wednesday also warned its agents to avoid protesters and ensure their security key cards are “not visible outside FBI space,” citing an increase in social media threats to bureau personnel and facilities. It also warned agents to be aware of their surroundings and potential protesters.
The warning did not specifically mention this week’s search of Mar-a-Lago but attributed the online threats to “recent media reporting on FBI investigative activity.”
This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.
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