Update: This article has been edited to reflect details about the suspect and that he was killed at around 3 p.m. EST following a standoff with police, reported by The Associated Press (AP).
A man armed with an AR-15 style weapon was killed by authorities after attempting to breach a Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio Thursday morning.
Lt. Nathan Dennis, an Ohio State Patrol spokesman, said during a press conference Thursday evening that authorities pursued the suspect, now identified as 42-year-old Ricky Shiffer, after he fled his car on a nearby country road and fled into the woods, according to AP.
Shiffer was shot at around 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon after pointing a gun at responding officers, the outlet reported. (RELATED: ‘Department Of Trust Us’: Sen. Chuck Grassley Says FBI Director Refused To Answer About The Raid)
Federal investigators are reportedly looking into whether he had any ties to far-rights extremist groups such as the Proud Boys, the outlet reported citing an anonymous law enforcement official. It is also believed he was present in Washington D.C. days leading up to and on the day of the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riots, according to AP.
The FBI field office stated Shiffer attempted to breach the building’s Visitor Screening Facility at around 9:15 a.m. in the day, according to NBC News. He reportedly brandished an AR-15 style weapon and fired off a nail gun before fleeing towards a vehicle, the outlet reported.
The suspect fled northbound on Interstate 71, prompting a pursuit by law enforcement, NBC reported.
At approximately 9 AM this morning an armed subject attempted to breach the Visitor Screening Facility at #FBI Cincinnati. After an alarm and a response by FBI special agents, the subject fled north onto Interstate 71. pic.twitter.com/vFZHnpbM9L
— FBI Cincinnati (@FBICincinnati) August 11, 2022
The #FBI, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and local law enforcement partners are on scene near Wilmington, OH trying to resolve this critical incident.
https://t.co/SWDZTkrnhL— FBI Cincinnati (@FBICincinnati) August 11, 2022
The agency advised individuals in a one-mile radius near I-71 to remain inside and lock their doors during the pursuit, the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency said on social media, adding that law enforcement has exchanged gunfire with Shiffer at the time.
This is a breaking news story. The article will be updated accordingly as more information is received.