A man who tried to break into an FBI office was shot dead by police

A gunman wearing bulletproof vests attempted to breach a security checkpoint at an FBI field office in Ohio. Thursday, who then fled and exchanged gunfire in a standoff with police, officials said. He later died in a shootout with police, the Ohio Highway Patrol said.

He was shot after he raised his gun in the direction of a police officer around 3 p.m., said Lt. Nathan Dennis, a spokesman for the agency.

No officers were injured and the suspect was unable to enter the building, officials said.

When a confrontation occurs at the FBI field office in Cincinnati Authorities have warned that threats against federal agents have increased in the days since the raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. In Florida.

Central officials said The man tried to “breach” the visitor control area at the FBI office and fled When officers confronted him. It was A chase ensued onto Interstate 71 and a shootout with policeAccording to the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency.

NBC News The suspect was reported to be armed An AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle fired a nail gun at the building.

The suspect drove out of state north of Cincinnati and abandoned his vehicle on rural roads, where he exchanged gunfire with police. The man suffered “unknown injuries,” but no one else was hurt.The company said.

As the helicopter flew over the area, state highway officials blocked traffic near the scene. Agents set up a 1.6 kilometer perimeter on the interstate and asked residents and businesses to close their doors and stay indoors. The interstate is already open.

According to multiple media reports, an FBI witness team came to the office for questioning.

Threats against FBI agents and offices have been on the rise in recent days nationwide since federal agents executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago. On Gab, a social networking site popular with white supremacists and anti-Semitism, users warned of an armed revolution.

Federal authorities are also monitoring various troubling conversations on Gab and other sites that threaten violence against federal officials. Director of the FBIChristopher Ray went to another FBI office in Nebraska on Wednesday to report the threats.

“No matter who you’re mad at, violence against law enforcement is not the answer,” Ray said Wednesday in Omaha.

On Wednesday, the FBI also alerted its agents Avoid protestors and make sure your security cards don’t “look out of FBI place.”, citing an increase in social media threats to office staff and facilities. He also warned officers to be aware of their surroundings and potential protesters.

The alert did not mention this week’s Mar-a-Lago search, but attributed the online threats to “recent media reports of FBI investigative activity.”

(With information from AP and Reuters)

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