Motive sought for Cincinnati FBI office break-in; suspect killed in standoff: What we know

CINCINNATI — Officers shot and killed an armed man wearing body armor Thursday after police say he tried to break into the FBI Cincinnati field office, leading to a pursuit and lengthy standoff with law enforcement near Wilmington, Ohio.

Authorities have not publicly identified the suspect, but the Associated Press reported that an official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation, identified him as 42-year-old Ricky Shiffer.

The official said Shiffer was believed to be in Washington in the days leading up to the Jan. 6 attack of the Capitol, and may have been present at the insurrection. Shiffer was not charged with any crimes in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, the official said.

Here's what we know so far about the incident:

FBI BREACH SUSPECT: Man may have posted on Trump's Truth Social during incident

BACKGROUND: Armed man who tried to breach FBI's Cincinnati office killed

Attempted break-in at FBI office leads to standoff

Around 9 a.m. Thursday, a man wearing body armor attempted to breach visitor-screening facility at the FBI building in Sycamore Township. The man was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and fired a nail gun before he fled in a car, law enforcement sources told NBC and CNN.

After an alarm and response by special agents, the man fled north on Interstate 71. A state trooper attempted a traffic stop before 9:40 a.m. after spotting the vehicle, a white Ford Crown Victoria, near a rest area, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. But the man continued to flee north, and shots were fired during the pursuit, the patrol said.

After the man exited the interstate, he exchanged gunfire with officers. Law enforcement officials attempted to negotiate with the suspect and take him into custody. Non-lethal tactics were used, but those were unsuccessful, the patrol said.

Troopers said the suspect raised a firearm toward police, and shots were fired back by officers at the scene. The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene around 3:40 p.m.

Who is the suspect and what is the motive?

State troopers did not identify the man nor provide a motive for the breach Thursday, but he was identified to the Associated Press as Richard W. Shiffer.

A USA TODAY review of online postings by an account in the name "Ricky Shiffer" shows the account had recently posted angry reactions to news of the FBI search at former President Donald Trump's home in Mar-a-Lago.

The same account also appeared to describe the man's efforts at the FBI office during or just after the incursion. The post appeared on Trump's Truth Social website.

"Well, I thought I had a way through bulletproof glass, and I didn't. If you don't hear from me, it is true I tried attacking the F.B.I., and it'll mean either I was taken off the internet, the F.B.I. got me, or they sent the regular cops while"

The Truth Social post was time-stamped 9:29 a.m. Eastern time and apparently ended mid-sentence.

Who is Richard Shiffer?What we know about the FBI breach suspect

Although a possible motive for the breach has not been released, the incident came a day after FBI director Christopher Wray warned of online threats against agents and the Justice Department after the agency searched former Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. The law enforcement official told the AP the suspect was believed to have been present at the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6 last year but was not charged.

"Unfounded attacks on the integrity of the FBI erode respect for the rule of law and are a grave disservice to the men and women who sacrifice so much to protect others," Wray said in a statement released Thursday after the fatal standoff. "Violence and threats against law enforcement, including the FBI, are dangerous and should be deeply concerning to all Americans."

Where is the FBI headquarters in Cincinnati?

The FBI's Cincinnati field office is located on Ronald Reagan Drive in Sycamore Township. It covers 48 counties throughout central and southern Ohio, according to the bureau’s website.

The office oversees five satellite offices in Athens, Cambridge, Columbus, Dayton and Portsmouth.

First opened in 1913, the bureau’s headquarters in Cincinnati does counter-terrorism work and investigates white-collar crime, drug trafficking and child pornography, the website states.

Contributing: Reporter Brook Endale; Enquirer media partner Fox19

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FBI Cincinnati suspect dies after standoff, break-in: What we know