Cincinnati standoff: Man who attempted to breach FBI office killed, officials say

CINCINNATI — An armed man wearing body armor tried Thursday to breach the FBI office in Cincinnati before exchanging gunshots with authorities in a chase that prompted the closure of an interstate highway and ended in the gunman’s death, authorities said.

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Update 7:57 p.m. EDT Aug. 11: The gunman, identified as Ricky Shiffer by law enforcement officials, is believed to have been in Washington in the days leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack and may have been present at the U.S. Capitol on the day of the attack, The New York Times and The Associated Press reported, citing a law enforcement official briefed on the matter. The official did not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, both news organizations said.

Update 7:01 p.m. EDT Aug. 11: Officials have not identified the gunman. However, a law enforcement source told The Washington Post and The New York Times that the man was identified as 42-year-old Ricky Shiffer.

Update 6:20 p.m. EDT Aug. 11: An armed man who attempted to break into the FBI office in Cincinnati was shot and killed by officers, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. According to WCPO-TV, the OSHP said the standoff ended around 3:42 p.m. EDT.

The man, who has not been identified, was shot after he raised a gun toward police at around 3 p.m. EDT, Lt. Nathan Dennis, a patrol spokesperson, told The Associated Press.

Update 5:49 p.m. EDT Aug. 11: The standoff between law enforcement and an armed man who attempted to break into the FBI office in Cincinnati ended around 4:30 p.m. EDT, the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency stated in an update to its Facebook page.

The agency said that some operations will continue at the site.

Officials have not said whether the man was arrested, WCPO-TV reported.

State police earlier said the man has “unknown injuries” after he exchanged gunfire with law enforcement, according to The Associated Press. Authorities did not provide information about how the standoff was resolved or the status of the suspect.

Clinton County EMA Director Thomas Breckel confirmed to WHIO-TV that the suspect was shot by law enforcement. However, Breckel did not reveal the suspect’s condition.

Original report: Authorities confirmed in a social media post that a person tried to breach the visitor screening facility at the FBI office around 9 a.m. on Thursday. The man fired a nail gun at officials and flashed an AR-15 style rifle, WLWT and NBC News reported.

He ran, fleeing onto Interstate 71, after an alarm alerted FBI special agents, authorities said.

Officials with the Ohio State Highway Patrol spotted the man’s car, a Ford Crown Victoria, on Interstate 71 around 9:40 a.m. They said the car fled after troopers got behind it, prompting a pursuit.

Police said that what appeared to be a gunshot was fired from inside the suspect’s vehicle during the chase, which continued onto State Route 73. Officials said the suspect stopped around 9:50 a.m. in Clinton County, on Smith Road near Van Trees Road.

“The suspect exited the vehicle and engaged officers, where gunfire was exchanged,” police said. “The suspect has unknown injuries and no officers or bystanders were injured.”

As of 2:40 p.m., a standoff between authorities and the man remained ongoing.

Officials shut down I-71 near State Route 73 and advised residents and businesses in the area to lock their doors, according to WHIO. Authorities have since reopened I-71, although a portion of State Route 73 remained closed on Thursday afternoon, and the lockdown remained in effect.

Officials with the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency said in a statement that authorities had a suspect “contained” after the incident, although they warned residents that he had yet to be taken into custody.

“He is wearing a gray shirt and body armor, and is armed,” authorities said. “Remain vigilant and if you are in the area, report anything suspicious to 911.”

A wrecked car and an armored truck could be seen earlier at the scene near State Route 380, WHIO reported.

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