A Truth Social account under the same name as the armed man who allegedly tried to breach an FBI office Thursday reportedly posted that people should "be ready to kill the enemy" in the wake of the FBI's raid at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.
The Washington Post reported Friday that in the minutes after suspect Ricky Shiffer allegedly tried to breach the office in Cincinnati, the Truth Social account with his name posted the message: "If you don't hear from me, it is true I tried attacking the F.B.I."
The account reportedly shared more than 370 posts in the past eight days that touched on unsupported claims of election fraud, as well as the FBI. "Kill [the FBI] on sight," the account wrote on Tuesday, following the FBI raid on Monday. The account has since been removed from the social media platform, according to the Post.
The FBI raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence on Monday in what is believed to be part of an ongoing probe into the former president's handling of potentially classified White House documents. Trump and his allies have sharply condemned the search and taken aim at the FBI and Justice Department for their role.
"It is prosecutorial misconduct, the weaponization of the Justice System, and an attack by Radical Left Democrats who desperately don't want me to run for President in 2024, especially based on recent polls and who will likewise do anything to stop Republicans and Conservatives in the upcoming midterm elections," Trump said in a statement Monday night.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said during a briefing Thursday that he personally approved of the decision to seek the Mar-a-Lago search warrant and that it was a decision the Justice Department did not take lightly.
The FBI Cincinnati office said that at about 9:15 a.m. Thursday, an armed man tried to breach its Visitor Screening Facility. He eventually fled the premises but was encountered by the FBI, Ohio State Highway Patrol and local law enforcement near Wilmington, Ohio.
Updated statement on today's incident at the #FBI Cincinnati Field Office: pic.twitter.com/Y6B7alGVdf
— FBI Cincinnati (@FBICincinnati) August 12, 2022
"The subject shot at law enforcement officers. During the incident, law enforcement also fired their weapons," FBI Cincinnati said in a statement.
Hours after the man initially attempted to breach the office, he was shot at approximately 3:45 p.m. and is now deceased.
"The FBI is now reviewing this agent-involved shooting. The FBI takes all shooting incidents involving our agents or task force members seriously," the statement added.
FBI Director Christopher Wray condemned violence and threats against law enforcement in a statement Thursday, saying they "are dangerous and should be deeply concerning to all Americans."
"Every day I see the men and women of the FBI doing their jobs professionally and with rigor, objectivity, and a fierce commitment to our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution," he added. "I am proud to serve alongside them."
The FBI declined to comment on the reported social media posts.
Newsweek reached out to the Trump Media & Technology Group, the company that created Truth Social, for comment.
Update 8/12/22, 4:05 p.m. ET: This story was updated to show that the FBI declined to comment.
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