A man has been charged after he drove a car into an FBI security gate in Pittsburgh on March 27, 2024. The vehicle, which was draped in an American flag, was seized after Donald Phillip Henson fled the scene. According to the FBI, Henson allegedly stated that he wanted to “make a statement.” He was apprehended seven hours later and invoked the Latin phrase “sic semper tyrannis,” meaning “thus always to tyrants,” during his interaction with agents. This phrase is historically linked to John Wilkes Booth, who reportedly shouted it after assassinating President Abraham Lincoln.
Henson, a 46-year-old resident of nearby Penn Hills, faces multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon and damage to government property. He is currently in custody and is scheduled for a detention hearing on Tuesday. Christopher Giordano, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI in Pittsburgh, characterized the incident as a “targeted attack” on the FBI facility. Fortunately, no personnel were injured during the event.
Investigators are still working to ascertain Henson’s motives and how he managed to evade capture initially. Henson is known to the FBI, as Giordano described him as a former military member. Public records indicate that he is affiliated with the Republican Party and voted in the 2024 general election. Efforts to reach him via a listed phone number did not yield a response, and there is currently no defense attorney listed in court documents.
Henson had made a prior visit to the FBI field office weeks before the incident to lodge a complaint, which Giordano noted was confusing in nature. Witnesses reported that Henson’s vehicle had some sort of message displayed on a side window, though no details about this were provided. The car, identified as a white sedan, also displayed a U.S. Air Force sticker.
A thorough investigation, including a bomb squad response, determined that no explosives were present at the scene of the crash. The security officer on duty at the time initially mistook Henson’s actions for a potential medical emergency. The officer intended to leave his post to investigate but chose to remain inside when Henson returned to the car to retrieve the flag, fearing he might be armed.
Henson’s financial situation has also drawn attention; in a bankruptcy filing from last year, he reported over $380,000 in student loan debt, minimal assets, a defunct business named Insomnia Solutions, and an income of just $281 per month.
This incident has raised numerous questions about Henson’s motivations and the security measures in place at federal facilities. As the investigation continues, the FBI is expected to provide further updates on the case.