But the officials who spoke to ABC News described a “panic” and “crisis” inside the FBI because the agency and the rest of the nation’s homeland security infrastructure are not built to deal with the non-stop flow of homegrown extremists and possible threats that mark the current environment within the U.S. Another FBI spokesperson did not respond to request for comment on the broader concerns at the Bureau. . .

Speaking to reporters, Comey and senior leaders did not characterize the atmosphere as either “crisis” or a “panic” but acknowledged that the bureau if facing serious “challenges” because the system is stretched thin.