By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS and PATRICK ORSAGOS Associated Press, and staff
WILMINGTON — Authorities are investigating the motives of a Columbus man they say tried to breach the FBI’s Cincinnati office, fled and died hours later in a standoff with law enforcement on a backroad in Clinton County.
The case unfolded as the FBI warned agents to take extra precautions amid increased social media threats to its employees and facilities following a search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Chase and standoff
In the Cincinnati case, officials said a man, identified as Ricky Shiffer, 42, of Columbus, tried to breach the visitor’s screening area at the FBI office Thursday morning and fled when agents confronted him.
Shiffer’s Ford Crown Victoria was spotted by Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers near rest area on northbound I-71 in Turtlecreek Township, in Warren County, at approximately 9:37 a.m. and a pursuit began, Lt. Nathan Dennis, a patrol spokesperson, said.
While the cruisers were behind the car, a suspected gunshot was fired from inside the vehicle, Dennis said.
Shiffer exited the interstate at state Route 73, about 70 miles from Columbus, and drove east before turning onto Smith Road, where he came to a stop near Van Trees Road in Chester Township at approximately 9:53 a.m., Dennis said.
The man got out of his car and exchanged gunfire with officers twice, then took cover behind his car and a standoff began, during which Dennis says troopers and other law enforcement personnel negotiated with Shiffer. When the negotiations failed, troopers attempted to take the suspect into custody by utilizing “less lethal tactic” but, at approximately 3:42 p.m., Shiffer raised a firearm and shots were fired by law enforcement officers.
Shiffer died at the scene.
Dennis said he couldn’t comment Thursday on whether the suspect said anything to officers during the standoff.
Who was Ricky Shiffer?
The Ohio State Highway Patrol Friday confirmed that Shiffer lived in Columbus where there were unverified reports that he worked as a construction mechanic.
The man is believed to have been in Washington in the days leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and may have been present at the Capitol on the day of the attack, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the matter. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
According to the official, Shiffer was not charged with any crimes in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, the official said. Federal investigators are examining whether Shiffer may have had ties to far-right extremist groups, including the Proud Boys, the official said.
FBI on alert
There have been growing threats in recent days against FBI agents and offices across the country after federal agents executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago. On Gab, a social media site popular with white supremacists and antisemites, users have warned they are preparing for an armed revolution.
Federal officials have also been tracking an array of other concerning chatter on Gab and other platforms threatening violence against federal agents. FBI Director Christopher Wray denounced the threats as he visited another FBI office in Nebraska on Wednesday.
“Violence against law enforcement is not the answer, no matter who you’re upset with,” Wray said Wednesday in Omaha.
The FBI on Wednesday also warned its agents to avoid potential protesters, and to ensure their security key cards are “not visible outside FBI space,” citing an increase in social media threats to bureau personnel and facilities.
The warning did not specifically mention this week’s search of Mar-a-Lago but attributed the online threats to “recent media reporting on FBI investigative activity.”