By: Iris Shen

After a long standoff last Thursday, law enforcement officers shot and killed a man who they said tried to break into the FBI’s office in Cincinnati.

On Friday, authorities identified the man as 42-year-old Ricky Shiffer. They gave no indication of his motives, but two law enforcement officials said investigators were looking into whether he was related to any extremist groups, including one that participated in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

The day after former President Donald Trump’s private residence in Florida was searched by the FBI, someone with an account containing Shiffer’s name posted messages on Mr. Trump’s social media platform recommending that “patriots” go to Florida and kill federal agents. On Thursday, the same account also appeared to confess to an attack on the FBI.

The man, who officials said was wearing body armor, tried to breach the entrance to the visitor screening facility outside the FBI office around 9 am, said Todd Lindgren, a spokesman for the bureau. He said an alarm was set off, and agents responded immediately.

After fleeing, Shiffer headed north on interstate 71, officials said. He was spotted about 20 minutes later by a state trooper at a rest stop. That trooper began a chase and came under gunfire, said Lt. Nathan Dennis of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

On Thursday morning, a message appeared on Twitter: “If you don’t hear from me, it is true I tried attacking the FBI.” The New York Times could not confirm whether the account, or other social media accounts, belonged to Shiffer.

Shiffer was not charged with any crimes related with the Jan. 6 attack. At an address in Columbus Ohio, which is believed to be in Shiffer’s name, police cars were parked outside on Thursday evening, and crime scene tape was blocking access.

Source article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/11/us/fbi-cincinnati-shooting.html