A woman brandishing a pistol was taken into custody on Wednesday after an hour-long standoff at the FBI facility in Seattle.
The gun-toting lady entered a lobby that is accessible to the public but requires a doorbell to enter, according to FBI spokesperson Steve Bernd.
At some point, she aimed the pistol toward herself, according to the Seattle Police Department. In the end, she was persuaded to turn herself in and place the weapon down at the feet of the hostage-negotiating team.
Officials report that no one was hurt and that no hostages were taken.
The woman’s name has not been released. The FBI said they are continuing to investigate her motives, and no charging decisions have been made yet.
FBI data indicate that there has been a significant surge in threats against agency personnel and facilities. In 2022, a guy armed with an AR-15 rifle and a nail gun attempted to penetrate the FBI’s Cincinnati field office. A few hours later, he was shot and killed by authorities.
In August, after breaking over a barricade at an FBI facility in Atlanta, a man made an effort to follow an FBI employee on foot into the secured parking lot.
In the summer of 2022, an armed man attempted to break into the FBI’s Cincinnati offices, sparking an hour-long afternoon showdown. The Ohio Highway State Patrol eventually shot and killed him.
That man, who has not been identified, was shot at around three p.m., according to police spokesperson Lt. Nathan Dennis, after he aimed a weapon toward officers.
Authorities reported that the individual was wearing body armor.
Threats against FBI agents and offices throughout the country have increased since federal authorities executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago. On the social networking site Gab, users have said they are preparing for an armed revolution.
Federal investigators have also been keeping an eye on a number of other concerning discussions on Gab and other platforms that include threats of violence against federal personnel.
FBI Director Christopher Wray denounced the threats of violence on Wednesday during a visit to another FBI site in Nebraska.
