The suspect, identified by two law enforcement sources as Ricky Schiefer, ended the disturbance by shooting at officers, Ohio Lt. Nathan Dennis said at a news briefing Thursday night. The officers returned fire and the suspect died at the scene. No police officers were injured in the collision. Authorities gave no indication Thursday of a possible motive for the break-in, saying the incident was still under investigation. But hours before the attack, Schieffer appeared to post on former President Donald Trump’s social media platform “TRUTH Social” to express his desire to kill federal agents. The post has since been removed by the site’s moderators. The situation unfolded around 9 a.m. when Ohio Highway Patrol troopers and local law enforcement agents responded to the alleged attempted break-in at the FBI office. A suspect raised the alarm and allegedly attempted to break into the visitor control center. The FBI said the person fled after an immediate response from special agents, prompting law enforcement to close about a mile of a nearby highway and issue a lockdown warning for residents and businesses in the surrounding area. According to a statement from the state highway patrol, officers spotted a Ford Crown Victoria on Interstate 71 in Warren County shortly after 9:30 a.m. that matched the description of the armed suspect’s vehicle. The driver ran away from the officers and a gunshot was heard from the car. Authorities pursued the car and the suspect stopped at 9:53 a.m. on Smith Street in Clinton County, where he got out of the car and opened fire. He used his car as a shield – and the standoff with the officers began. After attempts at negotiation failed, officers attempted to take him into custody. The suspect fired multiple shots around 3:42 p.m. and law enforcement returned fire, Dennis said. The suspect died at the scene. The FBI said one of its agents was involved in the shooting, saying in a statement that it is “looking into this agent-involved shooting.” FBI Director Christopher Wray issued a statement Thursday condemning the violence and threats against the agency. “The baseless attacks on the integrity of the FBI erode respect for the rule of law and are a serious disservice to the men and women who sacrifice so much to protect others,” Ray said. “Violence and threats against law enforcement, including the FBI, are dangerous and should be deeply troubling to all Americans.”
The incident came a day after Wray issued a warning about violent threats circulating online following this week’s FBI search of Trump’s Florida home, Mar-a-Lago. “This was a horrific attack on law enforcement – ​​my office and I are monitoring the situation as it develops,” Sen. Sherrod Brown also said in a statement. “My thoughts are with all those whose lives were threatened by this attack.”