(The Center Square) – Police have a suspect in custody following the ramming of the gate of Pittsburgh’s FBI field office early Wednesday morning, says FBI spokesman Bradford Arick.
Donald Henson, of Penn Hills, is in custody, the FBI says. FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Giordano said the suspect’s action is being viewed as “an act of terror against the FBI.”
Henson has been identified as a military veteran authorities believe may be struggling with mental illness. His identity was initially confirmed through license photos and surveillance videos at the scene.
After ramming the gate at about 2:40 a.m., the suspect draped an American flag on it and fled. Also left was writing on the side of the white sedan, which is registered in his name, addressing the FBI with “vulgarity.”
Giordano said Henson had visited the field office in recent weeks to report a complaint which “didn’t make a whole lot of sense.” The agency let him know that there was nothing for them to follow up on.
The incident comes just hours after Gov. Josh Shapiro visited Pittsburgh to talk about the scourge of political violence.
It also comes on the heels of a heated Senate hearing in which FBI Director Kash Patel took on scrutiny for the agency’s work investigating the assassination of Charlie Kirk, alleged politically motivated firings and the ongoing fight to release files pertaining to deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
A more specific motive for the crime has not yet been articulated.
“This was a targeted attack on this building,” said Giordano. “Thankfully no one was hurt, but we are going to exhaust every ability we have under the federal law to find, apprehend and prosecute this subject to the fullest extent.”
