The FBI said its Pittsburgh field office was targeted in a terrorism incident early Wednesday morning when a man rammed his car into the facility’s front gate.
No injuries were reported, but the crash destroyed the gate. The suspect fled the scene and remains at large, with officials asking for the public’s help in locating him.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Giordano identified the suspect as Donald Henson of Penn Hills, Pa. He allegedly drove a white Toyota sedan into the gate around 2:40 a.m., then exited the vehicle carrying an American flag, which he threw over the entrance before escaping. The agent said Henson fled on foot and it’s not clear if he was armed.
“We look at this as an act of terror against the FBI,” Giordano said, per CBS. “This was a targeted attack on this building.” Authorities said Henson, a military veteran, may be struggling with mental health issues and urged the public not to approach him.
“Right now, he is wanted in connection with this crime against the FBI,” Giordano added. “It is a federal offense and we will be seeking prosecution to the fullest extent.” He said Henson is known to the field office after having visited there recently.
“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.”
