Woman with gun arrested after armed standoff at FBI officers in Seattle as bureau faces more threats
Police and Homeland Security personnel swiftly arrived at the bureau’s Seattle headquarters
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An armed woman who breached an FBI office with a handgun was taken into custody by a SWAT team following an hour-long standoff with authorities.
The woman, who has not been identified, walked into the publicly-accessible lobby of the building on 1110 Third Avenue in Seattle, Washington, at approximately 3.14pm PT on Wednesday.
Seattle Police Department and Homeland Security swiftly arrived at the scene preventing the armed woman from venturing further into the building.
She was possibly pointing the gun at herself in the chest region, with negotiators being deployed and speaking over the tannoy in a bid for a peaceful solution, according to FOX 13 Seattle.
Dozens of police cars swarmed the building as four blocks around the bureau’s Seattle headquarters were shut down during the standoff causing a build-up of traffic, according to one witness.
An FBI SWAT team took the gunwoman into custody approximately an hour later without any injuries. There were no hostages at the scene and no reported injuries
Paper has been put up in the windows of the building to obscure the view of onlookers. The building has been taped off, while the surrounding streets and roads have been reopened to both traffic and pedestrians.
Detectives are currently unsure of the woman’s demands. An investigation is ongoing and no charging decisions have been made.
“We are grateful to the Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Protective Service, and other law enforcement partners for their commitment to protecting our community,” special agent Richard Collodi, in charge of the FBI Seattle Field Office, said in a statement.
The FBI has reported an increase in the number of threats against personnel and facilities in recent years as it continues to face widespread criticism, particular amongst conservatives and the far-right.
Some MAGA supporters have condemned both the bureau and the Justice Department for supposedly being hyper-aggresive against former president Donald Trump, while in contrast believing they turn a blind eye to President Joe Biden.
Erving Lee Bolling smashed his SUV through a barricade at an FBI headquarters in Atlanta in April this year before being caught by federal agents. He had reportedly been posting about the QAnon conspiracy theory prior to the incident.
A gunman clad in body armor tried to breach the bureau’s Cincinnati office in August 2022. Ricky Shiffer managed to flee the scene before being shot dead by police.
Authorities suspect he was present at the Jan. 6 Capitol riots and may have had ties with far-right group the Proud Boys, although he was not officially charged with any crimes in connection to the event.
The Independent has reached out to the FBI about how the armed woman managed to bypass the office’s metal detectors.