Ohio FBI shooting - latest: ‘Violent extremist’ Ricky Shiffer investigated for months after Jan 6
Standoff with police ended with suspect being shot
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Your support makes all the difference.Cincinnati shooting suspect Ricky Shiffer was shot dead by police on the side of an interstate highway hours after he attempted to breach a visitor’s entrance at an FBI field office in the city.
The 42-year-old, of Columbus, Ohio, fled the scene of the attempted attack on Thursday morning before a standoff and shootout took place hours later. The FBI confirmed his death at 3.45pm following an exchange of gunfire.
Officials are investigating Shiffer’s ties to the US Capitol riot and right wing extremism as he appears to have claimed that he was present in Washington on 6 January on Truth Social, a pro-Trump social media site.
Federal agents were already looking into Shiffer’s ties to the Capitol attack before the FBI standoff, the New York Times reports.
Shiffer also appeared to support Donald Trump’s unfounded claims of a stolen election in 2020 and responded to social media posts by pro-Trump figures such as congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump Jr.
His social media posts made reference to the FBI’s search at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Monday.
Live coverage of the Ohio standoff
Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the ongoing police standoff in Ohio, which comes as an armed man allegedly threatened an FBI office in Cincinnati.
Dramatic shoot-out after armed man threatened FBI office in Ohio and led police on car chase
There’s an ongoing standoff in Ohio after an armed man made threats at an FBI office in Cincinnati and led police on a car chase.
NBC News reporter Ken Dilanian said on MSNBC that “a man entered ... and fired a nail gun at law enforcement ... The man then held up an AR-15 style rifle before fleeing in a vehicle”.
He added: “A pursuit then occurred … Then the suspect got out of the car and there was a standoff.”
The Wilmington News Journal reported that police scanner traffic updates from the incident said that at 10am, the suspect, described as bald and wearing sunglasses, entered a cornfield and aimed a pistol at police, prompting law enforcement to set up a perimeter.
Gustaf Kilander is following this breaking news story.
Shoot-out after armed man threatened FBI office in Ohio and led police on car chase
Man enters federal building and fires nail gun at law enforcement before taking out assault rifle, reporter says
Farmer says he’s watching Ohio FBI standoff ‘from top of the grain bin’
Details are still emerging about a massive law enforcement standoff in Ohio involving a man who allegedly threatened an FBI field office.
The FBI, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and local police have all converged on a cornfield near Wilmington, Ohio, and surrounded the alleged assailant.
Livestock farmer Bryan Vaughan of Wilmington wrote on Twitter on Thursday’s he can see at least 40 police vehicles from the top of his grain bin.
Will Merrick Garland address Ohio FBI standoff?
Attorney General Merrick Garland is expected to offer remarks today about the recent FBI raid at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club and residence in Florida.
The top Justice Department official may also offer new information about the ongoing standoff in Ohio involving a man who allegedly threatened an FBI field office in Cincinnati.
Eric Garcia has more on what to expect from the AG.
Merrick Garland to give a statement on Trump Mar-a-Lago raid
The remarks will be the attorney general’s first since the FBI executed a search warrant on the former president’s home
Traffic on I-71 back open as suspect ‘contained’ in cornfield: officials
The armed man suspected of threatening an Ohio FBI office is still hiding out in a cornfield, according to local officials.
The Clinton County Emergency Management Agency said on Thursday afternoon that the “suspect has not yet been taking into custody, but is contained,” after numerous law enforcement officers surrounded the field.
Traffic on I-71, temporarily shut down for security reasons, is now back open in both directions.
Merrick Garland speaking in Washington
Attorney General Merrick Garland is now speaking in Washington, DC.
He’s expected to mostly address the recent search at Donald Trump’s Florida residence, but we’ll keep an eye out for any updates on the Ohio standoff.
WATCH: Ohio officials provide update on armed standoff
Ohio officials are engaged in an ongoing standoff with an individual who allegedly threatened an FBI field office in Cincinnati this morning.
Here’s their latest update.
Suspect was driving Ford Crown Victor and fired gunshot
The Ohio State Police came close to nabbing the individual who allegedly threatened an FBI office in Cincinnati today.
State troopers located the individual’s vehicle, a Ford Crown Victoria, near a rest area on Interstate 71 at approximately 9.37am, the agency said on Thursday.
Upon seeing officers, “the suspect fled and a pursuit ensued.”
As troopers chased the man, a suspected gun shot was fired inside the car.
Eventually, the alleged assailant ditched his car and ran into a cornfield near Wilmington, Ohio, exchanging gunfire with officers and sustaining unknown injuries.
Ex-FBI official fears Ohio attack could act as a rallying cry for ‘other unhinged’ people
An assault on the FBI’s Cincinnati headquarters could act as a rallying cry for other “unhinged” people to launch copycat attacks, a former top agent has warned.
Authorities said a man armed with an assault rifle and wearing body armour tried to breach the Ohio field office on Thursday, before sparking a stand-off after fleeing towards a highway.
Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe told CNN on Thursday it was “coincidental” that the attack on an FBI field office came so soon after the search warrant was executed on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property.
Mr McCabe said the attacks endangered lives and called on Justice Department leaders to address the “overheated rhetoric ... that has literally created the threat towards members of the department”.
Bevan Hurley has the story for The Independent.
Ex-FBI official fears Ohio attack could act as a rallying cry for ‘unhinged’ people
Republicans and rightwing commentators accused of stoking violence and endangering lives as armed man attacks FBI office in Ohio
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