A suspect was in custody after a driver rammed a automobile right into a staffed safety gate on the FBI constructing in Pittsburgh early Wednesday, then eliminated an American flag from the again seat and threw it over the gate earlier than leaving, authorities stated.
“This was a targeted attack on this building,” Christopher Giordano, assistant particular agent answerable for the FBI in Pittsburgh, instructed reporters. No personnel had been injured.
The suspect, recognized as Donald Henson of close by Penn Hills, was taken into custody after 10 a.m., greater than seven hours after the incident, officers stated. No particulars on the motive or on how he was in a position to flee had been instantly out there, however the FBI stated it was not treating it as a terrorism case, spokesperson Bradford Arick stated.
No expenses had been posted in a federal docket itemizing for Henson by early Wednesday afternoon, and federal prosecutors didn’t instantly return messages in search of remark. Giordano had stated the FBI would pursue the case vigorously.
The FBI was acquainted with Henson, whom Giordano described as a former member of the army. A message left at a cellphone quantity linked to him was not instantly returned.
“He did come here to the FBI field office a few weeks ago to make a complaint that didn’t make a whole lot of sense,” Giordano stated.
He stated the automobile appeared to have some type of message on a facet window, however didn’t elaborate. The automobile, a white sedan, additionally appeared to have a U.S. Air Drive sticker on it.
Investigators, together with a bomb squad, discovered no explosives on the scene.
The safety gate is staffed around-the-clock by a federal contractor, Arick stated.
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Related Press author Kathy McCormack in Harmony, New Hampshire, and Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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