The armed gunman who tried to storm into the FBI's office in Cincinnati and fired shots posted his plans on Truth Social hours before the attack. The suspect identified as Ricky Walter Shiffer reportedly fired a nail gun while trying to breach the Visitor Screening Facility at the agency's office.
The 42-year-old was shot dead by the police following hours-long standoff in a corn field on Thursday afternoon.
Shiffer Was Retaliating Against FBI Raid on Mar-a-Lago
The failed attack comes four days after FBI conducted a raid on former U.S. President Donald Trump's residence at Mar-a-Lago estate, Florida. Terming the raid as a sign of 'dark times' for the nation, Trump had issued a statement calling it a politically motivated attack. The raid was conducted amid reports of the Justice Department intensifying the criminal investigation against the former President for his conduct during his tenure at the White House.
In multiple posts on Trump's Truth Social, the MAGA supporter spoke about his plans of attacking the FBI office in retaliation to the raids conducted at Mar-a-Lago club.
On Truth Social, Shiffer describes himself as a construction electrician who has been blocked on other social media platforms including Twitter. In the now deleted post, accessed by VICE News, Shiffer wrote on Thursday, " If you don't hear from me, it is true I tried attacking the F.B.I. and it'll mean either I was taken off the internet, the F.B.I. got me, or they sent the regular cops."
Trump Was Shiffer's Hero
In another post, made after the FBI raid, the Trump supporter wrote, "People this is it. I hope a call to arms comes from someone better qualified, but if not, this is your call to arms from me. Leave work tomorrow as soon as the gun shop/ Army-Navy store/ pawn shop opens, get whatever you need to be ready for combat. We must not tolerate this one. They have been conditioning us to accept tyranny and we must respond with force. If you know of any protests or attacks, please post here."
Calling Trump his "hero", Shiffer also spoke about the former President calling for peace post the raids at his home. "Donald Trump was my hero just a year ago but we must not continue to lay down and take this," Shiffer wrote. "If he does not call for peace, it is probably because he fears for the lives of his grandchildren and young children. It is a dark situation for that family, but millions of other kids are in danger until we show the enemy how Americans do it."
The outlet reported that Shiffer was also under investigation for having "ties to extremist groups," including the Proud Boys.
