A suspect is in custody after the FBI in Pittsburgh launched a search for the driver of a car that allegedly rammed into its city field office on Wednesday, in what officials have described as an "act of terror."
The suspect was identified earlier Wednesday as Donald Henson from Penn Hills, a township east of Pittsburgh. An FBI spokesperson confirmed Henson was taken into custody and was being held at the FBI Pittsburgh office.
Henson crashed into a vehicle entrance gate at the FBI Pittsburgh office at 2:40 a.m., then grabbed an American flag from the vehicle and threw it onto the gate before fleeing the scene, the FBI Pittsburgh office said. There were no injuries.
“This incident is considered a targeted attack against the FBI,” the FBI office said.
Images from the scene obtained by NBC affiliate WPXI of Pittsburgh showed a white Toyota Corolla that had apparently driven into a metal fence. Footage from the scene also showed officers pulling a black bag out of the trunk using a winch.
There appeared to be a message written on the side of the car, which was to be examined by a bomb squad, FBI Pittsburgh Assistant Special Agent in Charge Christopher Giordano said. The car’s doors and trunk were all open, according to images from the scene, and the metal fence visibly slanted after the impact.
“We look at this as an act of terror against the FBI," Giordano said before Henson was apprehended.
Henson has a documented history of mental health issues, multiple federal law enforcement officials told NBC News. He was unarmed, the FBI said.
The head of FBI Pittsburgh said that while the office considers the act terrorism as the FBI was directly targeted, it's likely Henson won't be charged with terrorism.
Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.
Joe Kottke is an assignment editor at NBC News covering domestic news, including politics, crime, natural disasters, immigration and LGBTQ issues.
Marlene Lenthang
,
Tom Winter
and
Michael Kosnar
contributed
.
