Feds identify Cincinnati FBI gunman as Navy veteran Ricky Schiffer, who was on extremist watch list

The man who attempted to breach the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cincinnati field office last week while armed, and ended up being killed by authorities after a car chase and hours-long standoff, has been identified as US Navy veteran Ricky Schiffer.

Schiffer arrived at the FBI location on Thursday morning armed and dressed in body armor, and attempted to breach the security checkpoint, setting off alarms. He then fled by car and after a long standoff with authorities, was ultimately gunned down and killed. Schiffer was formally identified on Friday.

Schiffer had previously been known to authorities because he had ties to the right wing extremist group, the Proud Boys. Schiffer had also previously been reported to the FBI but the bureau did not consider Schiffer a “specific and credible threat” at the time. Authorities said in a Friday statement that agents had previously attempted to interview Schiffer but had not been able to locate him. 

A social media post on Truth Social matching Schiffer’s name detailed the attempted attack on the FBI field office. Truth Social is the social media platform recently launched by former president Donald Trump. Minutes after the attempted breach at the Cincinnati office, Schiffer posted to the platform.

“Well, I thought I had a way through bullet proof glass, and I didn’t,” he said. “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 while,” the message trails off.

An FBI spokesman said in a statement on Friday that Schiffer had handled highly classified documents as part of his responsibilities in the US Navy on the USS Columbia. Officials are still looking for a motive in Schiffer’s attempted attack. His Truth Social posts indicate he was upset about the FBI’s raid of former president Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago on Monday.