Car rams into FBI office entrance in ‘targeted attack’
The suspect reportedly placed a US flag onto the damaged gate of the agency’s Pittsburgh building before fleeing the scene
A man has driven a car into the gates of the FBI’s Pittsburgh office, in what the agency described as a targeted attack.
The incident occurred at 2:40am local time on Wednesday, the FBI said. No one was injured.
The suspect, identified as Donald Henson of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, retrieved an American flag from his white sedan and threw it onto the damaged gate before fleeing on foot, according to a statement from the agency.
Speaking during a press briefing, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Giordano stated that the agency was treating the incident “as an act of terror against the FBI,” as quoted by ABC News.
The official vowed that the authorities “are going to exhaust every ability we have under the federal law to find, apprehend and prosecute this subject to the fullest extent.”
According to Giordano, there was “some vulgarity” inscribed on the side of the vehicle, though no details as to its contents have been made available. He added, however, that the message was apparently a reference to suicide.
Giordano told reporters that while it was not immediately clear whether or not the suspect was armed, the man had been identified as a former military member and may be dangerous. He clarified that Henson is the registered owner of the sedan in question.
The official suggested that the suspect may recently have been experiencing mental health issues. According to Giordano, Henson had visited the FBI Pittsburgh office within the last few weeks to lodge a complaint which “didn’t make a whole lot of sense.”
