Man Holding Five FBI Agents Hostage Is Slain

An armed man entered FBI headquarters Friday and took five agents hostage before being shot to death by other agents, officials said.

Stanley William Peregoy, 41, of Tillamook, Ore., took one agent hostage at gunpoint outside the headquarters and then went inside, where he held four other agents hostage, the FBI said.

Not Among Hostages

Charles Mathews, assistant special agent in charge of the Portland FBI office, said Peregoy was shot about 45 minutes later by two agents who were not among the hostages.

The two agents entered the room when Peregoy “displayed immediate life-threatening actions directed at a specific agent,” Mathews said. He would not describe the life-threatening action or how the agents knew when to enter.

The agents each fired one shot, Mathews said, one with a shotgun and one with a handgun. Peregoy did not fire his gun.

A loaded ammunition clip, another 50 rounds of ammunition and a note were found on Peregoy’s body, Mathews said. The note “to a certain degree explains his actions here. It would be classified as a last will,” Mathews said. He did not elaborate.

Mathews said Peregoy had a history of contact with law enforcement agencies, including a visit to the FBI office about five years ago. Those previous contacts involved “irrational” behavior, he said.

Mathews said the gunman took the hostages into a squad room and stayed in one corner where he could observe all of the captives.

“He refused to negotiate,” Mathews said. “I called to the squad area and managed to get one of the agents on the line. I had a hostage negotiator prepared to start negotiating.”

The first agent was taken hostage as he inserted a key to enter the headquarters, Mathews said. Asked why the other agents were in a position to be taken hostage, Mathews said: “They were surprised initially when he came in behind them, and there was nothing they could do.”

Two floors of the building where the FBI offices are located were evacuated during the incident.