Pittsburgh FBI: Gate-Ramming Suspect Is in Custody

Agency was seeking Donald Henson, who it says slammed into a gate at one of its field offices
Posted Sep 17, 2025 9:15 AM CDT
Updated Sep 17, 2025 11:15 AM CDT
FBI Hunts Suspect After Car Rams Its Pittsburgh Office Gate
Donald Henson.   (WTAE)

The FBI has captured a man accused of driving a vehicle into the gate at the FBI's Pittsburgh field office early Wednesday, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with officials naming the suspect now in custody as Donald Henson. The incident occurred around 2:40am on the city's South Side, and the AP reports that Henson was taken into custody around 10am. While no injuries were reported, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Christopher Giordano described the crash as "an act of terror" and "a targeted attack on this building," per WTAE. He added that Henson had shown up at that office within recent weeks to file a complaint, noting it "didn't make a whole lot of sense," per ABC News. Giordano said authorities believe that Henson has a "history of mental health issues," reports the Post-Gazette.

One witness tells WTAE she heard screeching tires, then saw a man exit the crashed vehicle, retrieve an object from the passenger side—which she initially mistook for a gun; it turned out to be an American flag—and place it on a nearby fence while shouting before fleeing. Another witness described the suspect as incoherent as he walked away from the crash site. Additional accounts noted that the perp left the area "like nothing happened." NBC News reports on photos from the scene that showed a white Toyota Corolla in front of a metal fence.

The FBI notes there was an apparent reference to suicide and "some vulgarity" scribbled on the side of the vehicle, which they say was registered to Henson, per ABC. Details about any alleged motive or what was stated during the incident haven't thus far been disclosed.

This story has been updated to note that the suspect has been captured.

Read These Next
Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X