On Thursday, an armed man in body armor tried to enter the FBI Cincinnati office in Cincinnati. Police shot him and killed him. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, he fled the scene and engaged in a lengthy standoff in rural Ohio.
Federal agents were warned by officials that there would be more threats to their safety following the Florida search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
An official familiar with the matter said that the man could have been in Washington in the time leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021 rebellion. The man could also have been at Capitol on that day, according to an official familiar with the matter.
According to the law enforcement official Ricky Shiffer (42 years old) was identified as the suspect. Federal investigators are looking into whether Shiffer was connected to far-right extremist organizations such as the Proud Boys.
Federal authorities claim that Shiffer attempted to enter the FBI’s screening area for visitors at 9:15 AM. He fled after being chased by agents and fled onto Interstate 71.
Shiffer was being followed by police on the interstate north of Cincinnati. He got out of his car and drove to the country road. Shiffer stated in a separate highway patrol report that he used his car as cover during the standoff.
Dennis claimed that Shiffer was killed when he raised his weapon at police on Thursday afternoon around 3:45 pm. Dennis said that this happened after negotiations had failed. Dennis didn’t provide any details, but police tried unsuccessfully to use “less fatal tactics”.
A helicopter flew over the area. State highway workers prevented traffic from going to the scene. Officials kept residents and businesses in the area for more than a mile.
Federal agents executed a Mar-a-Lago warrant search warrant on FBI agents. Since then, there have been growing threats against FBI agents across the country. Some users have warned about the dangers of an armed revolution.
Federal officials also monitor chatter from Gab and other platforms that could threaten violence against federal agents. He visited a Nebraska FBI office Wednesday.
Wray said Wednesday in Omaha, that violence against law enforcement is not the solution.
The FBI advised its agents on Wednesday not to protest and said that their security keys should not be visible outside FBI Space. This was due in part to the increased threats to personnel and facilities by social media.
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.”
