UPDATE 1:53 PM ET: The Washington Post reports that a standoff with the gunman is still underway. New details: the man apparently entered the FBI building while wearing body armor and carrying a weapon. NBC News reports the man was carrying an AR-15-style assault rifle, but fired at personnel in the FBI building with a nail gun.
Security responded, and the man fled, leading officer on a 50-mile car chase until he abandoned his vehicle for some reason in Wilmington, Ohio, where he is currently “contained” but not in custody. The suspect is described as a white male wearing a gray shirt covering body armor. The gunman exchanged gunfire with police during the chase and standoff, but there are currently no reports of injuries. Given that the armed suspect is a white male, Ohio police will likely wait for a peaceful resolution to the shooting spree and won’t bring back former Cleveland police officer Timothy Loehmann, who would’ve just jumped out of his car to kill a child with a toy gun ’cause he was scared.
Authorities have cordoned off a one-mile perimeter around the suspect, warning residents to lock their doors and stay away from windows. Roads in the area are being blocked off.
UPDATE 11:44 AM ET: Early reporting that the man was taking into custody may not be accurate. Local news stations are reporting that he has fled to a corn field after the car chase and is taking pot shots at officers.
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
Original report 11:22 AM ET: And so it begins: An armed man was arrested after making threats that he would attack federal agents at the FBI field office building in Cincinnati, Ohio, NBC-5 Cincinnati reports.
Two nearby highways were shut down in the middle of the morning rush hour as law enforcement agents dealt with the threat, reportedly an armed white guy who was taken into custody without officers firing a shot. The gunman entered the FBI building, making threats against the agency and its employees. Security saw that the man was armed, and it’s unclear if he brandished the weapon during the encounter. He then fled the building, leading Ohio State Police on a car chase.
FBI Director Christopher Wray noted in public statements that the Bureau and its agents have been receiving threats since they executed a search warrant at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago palace in Florida, looking for classified documents Trump reportedly stole from the White House.