Armed Suspect at FBI Office Triggers Police Chase, Shots Reportedly Fired

A file photo shows the FBI office in Cincinnati, Ohio. Google Street View

An armed individual allegedly tried to breach the FBI’s building near Cincinnati, Ohio, on the morning of Aug. 11 before he fled the scene, the FBI said in a statement.

“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,” the FBI’s field office in Cincinnati wrote on Twitter.

The breach is now being investigated. The identity and other details about the individual were not disclosed.

The bureau and local law enforcement were on the scene in Wilmington, Ohio, in an attempt “to resolve this critical incident,” the FBI stated.

A chase involving the individual appears to have led into Clinton County, where officials told residents to lock down at about 11 a.m. local time, according to reports. At roughly 11:40 a.m., the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency stated that an armed male in body armor and a gray shirt exchanged gunfire with police and law enforcement.

The agency told locals to lock their doors and “remain vigilant,” according to a social media post.

Further details about the incident and chase haven’t been released by the FBI or local agencies. Real-time data posted by an Ohio traffic website suggests that parts of Interstate 71 in Clinton County are shut down. It states that “I-71 South CLOSED beyond US-68/Wilmington because of a police incident.”

Department of Homeland Security officials were seen arriving at the FBI Cincinnati building, according to video footage posted by a local reporter.

Background

The incident comes just hours after FBI Director Christopher Wray decried alleged threats that were made against the bureau. Wray didn’t address the recent FBI raid at former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence.

During an Aug. 10 press conference, Wray said that he’s “always concerned about threats to law enforcement.”

“Violence against law enforcement is not the answer, no matter who you’re upset with,” he said.

A member of the Secret Service in front of the home of former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on Aug. 9, 2022. Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images

Trump said on Aug. 8 that FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago home, although the FBI and Department of Justice haven’t issued public comments on the matter. A judge who reportedly approved the warrant in the case ordered the Justice Department on Aug. 10 to respond to a motion that requests the warrant be unsealed.

The White House stated President Joe Biden wasn’t aware of the raid before it was announced by Trump earlier this week. Trump and Republicans accused the FBI and the Biden administration of weaponizing federal law enforcement to target their political opponents ahead of the midterm elections.