A suspect accused of ramming a car into the gate of an FBI field office in Pittsburgh is in custody.
The FBI identified the suspect as military veteran Donald Henson. At a Wednesday press briefing, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Giordano told reporters that Henson allegedly drove his Toyota sedan into the entry gate of the Pittsburgh FBI field office at roughly 2:40 a.m. Henson then reportedly placed a flag at the spot and fled on foot.
Though no casualties were reported, Giordano described the ramming as an act of terrorism.
“We look at this as an act of terror against the FBI,” Giordano said. “This was a targeted attack on this building. Thankfully, no one was hurt.”
“Right now, he is wanted in connection with this crime against the FBI,” he added. “It is a federal offense, and we will be seeking prosecution to the fullest extent.”
Authorities speculated that Henson was suffering a mental health crisis when he rammed into the gate.
The field office released a statement Wednesday morning saying, “At approximately 2:40 a.m., an individual driving a white sedan proceeded to ram one of the vehicle entrance gates at FBI Pittsburgh. This individual exited the vehicle, removed an American flag from the backseat, and threw it onto the damaged gate. The individual then left the scene on foot.”
Witnesses described the incident to WTAE on Wednesday.
“He got out, went around the passenger side, and pulled something out of the passenger side. I thought it was a gun, but it happened to be a flag, and he just set it on that fence and started yelling out some words and just took off,” local worker Nakeisha Brown told the outlet.
Cierra Posey, another nearby worker, told the outlet that she saw Henson walk away from the car “like nothing had happened” while speaking incomprehensibly.
Henson’s incoherence was reportedly displayed a couple of weeks before when he visited the field office, showcasing signs of paranoia.
SUSPECT WHO ATTACKED FBI PITTSBURGH FIELD OFFICE STILL ON THE LOOSE
“In scouring our indexes, we did find that he visited the field office a couple of weeks ago to make a complaint that didn’t make a whole lot of sense,” Giordano said. “We ran down everything that he came down with. It didn’t have a federal nexus. We contacted him to let him know there wasn’t a federal offense that we were able to charge.”
Though no one was hurt, Henson was considered dangerous during his short manhunt.