FBI says armed person attempted to breach its Cincinnati building

An armed individual attempted to breach the Federal Bureau of Investigation's building in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Thursday morning before fleeing the scene, the FBI said.

"At approximately 9 AM this morning an armed subject attempted to breach the Visitor Screening Facility at FBI Cincinnati. After an alarm and a response by FBI special agents, the subject fled north onto Interstate 71," the FBI's field office in Cincinnati wrote on Twitter, adding the breach was being probed.

The suspect left the interstate and abandoned his car on nearby roads, where he exchanged gunfire with police. The man has "unknown injuries," but no one else was hurt, the patrol said.

Officials in Ohio have locked down a mile radius near the interstate and urged residents and business owners to lock doors and stay inside. The interstate has been reopened.

An FBI evidence team has arrived at the office to investigate, according to multiple media reports.

There have been growing threats in recent days against FBI agents and offices across the country since 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 protesters and ensure their security key cards are "not visible outside FBI space," citing an increase in social media threats to bureau personnel and facilities. It also warned agents to be aware of their surroundings and potential protesters.

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."