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Police and rescue workers at the scene of the shooting after the chase
Photo: Nick Graham/AP
For days there have been warnings from the US security authorities of a dangerous intensification of rhetoric from the camp of ex-US President Donald Trump in particular and his Republican party in general.
It is still unclear to what extent a current incident can be linked to the repeated and very public hostilities.
A gunman has been shot dead by officers after an attack on an FBI office in the United States.
According to the FBI, the man wanted to break into the office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Cincinnati, Ohio on Thursday.
"After an alarm was activated and armed FBI agents intervened, the individual fled."
According to media reports, the man fired a nail gun and displayed a semi-automatic rifle before escaping in a car.
According to the police, a chase ensued, and the suspect then stopped in a rural area.
"As the vehicle came to a stop, there was an exchange of fire between officers on the scene and the suspect," said a police spokesman.
Police officers initially tried to persuade the man to give up, but he refused.
When he pointed a gun at the police officers, the officers shot him, the police spokesman said.
"He succumbed to his injuries on the spot."
The exact background of the attack on the FBI office was initially unclear.
The attack came just days after the FBI raided Trump's mansion in Florida.
The raid on the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach has sparked anger and outrage in right-wing circles.
Trump himself described the raid as politically motivated.
Threats against FBI criticized by highest authority
FBI chief Christopher Wray on Wednesday complained about threats against the federal police in connection with the raid and described them as "reprehensible and dangerous".
US Attorney General Merrick Garland said on Thursday that he "personally authorized" Trump's search.
Authorities did not give a reason for the search of Trump's home Monday night.
According to media reports, it was a court-authorized action related to documents Trump took from the White House to Mar-a-Lago after the end of his presidency in January 2021, although by law he should have turned all documents over to the National Archives.
jok/AFP