5 Atlanta photo

Teams from the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Atlanta Police Department arrived within an hour to collect forensic evidence and pursue leads, leading to Hinton's identification. Investigators noted that federal search warrants were actively being executed Friday evening as part of the case.

What they're saying:

Federal and local officials condemned the incident during the news conference outside the ICE building Friday evening, calling it a direct threat to the rule of law.

 An attack on federal property is an attack against our democracy,  Hertzberg said.  It is an act of terrorism, it is an act of political violence, and it cannot stand. We will not tolerate attacks on government property and attacks against federal law enforcement. We take that absolutely seriously, and we have no tolerance for it. 

Hertzberg noted the attack brought back memories of a similar incident at the same facility during the summer of 2020, emphasizing that authorities will not allow a repeat of those actions in the district.

FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean Matthews commended the speed of the multi-agency response, which included assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia State Patrol, and Cobb County authorities.

 Within an hour of this incident occurring, we had agents on scene, our evidence response team, and investigative teams from our JTTF as well as along with HSI on the scene collecting evidence and beginning to work this case,  Matthews said.  This sends the message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated in the city of Atlanta or the state of Georgia. 

Ellen Johnson, acting special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations, added that agents will use every available resource to investigate threats against personnel and institutions to protect the rule of law.

What we don't know:

Authorities have not established a motive for the attack or confirmed whether Hinton was acting alone or in coordination with other individuals.

While Hertzberg stated he was not aware of Hinton having a history of criminal convictions, officials declined to comment on his prior arrest record.