Suspect sought after car rammed into FBI gate in possible ‘act of terror’

Donald Henson allegedly drove at high speed toward main entrance gate of Pittsburgh field office

A search is under way for a man with a history of mental health issues who allegedly rammed his car into a metal gate at an FBI field office in Pittsburgh early Wednesday in what the agency said it is treating as “an act of terror against the FBI”.

Donald Henson, of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, allegedly drove at high speed toward the main entrance gate at about 2.40am, said the FBI special agent in charge of the investigation, Christopher Giordano.

The FBI said “some vulgarity” was scrawled on the side of the vehicle. The driver reportedly got out of the vehicle, hurled an American flag over the fence and shouted incoherently.

Giordano said that Henson, a former military man with a history of mental health issues, is the registered owner of the vehicle. The agency said it had been able to match his drivers license photo to further identify him.

He added the suspect fled the scene and it was believed that he may be dangerous, though it was not immediately clear if Henson was armed, ABC News reported, citing the FBI.

“We look at this as an act of terror against the FBI,” Giordano said. “This was a targeted attack on this building. Thankfully no one was hurt, but we are going to exhaust every ability we have under the federal law to find, apprehend and prosecute this subject to the fullest extent.”

The suspect had reportedly visited the FBI Pittsburgh office recently to make a complaint, Giordano said, adding it “didn’t make a whole lot of sense”.

“We contacted him and let him know that there was no federal crime we were able to charge,” he said.