An off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was confronted by an armed gunman at an apartment complex in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve and was fired upon three times, according to news reports. The agent was not injured. The gunman was later found dead at the scene.
According to KABC-TV, the incident unfolded around 10:45 p.m. Wednesday in the Northridge area of Los Angeles.
The agent, who was not identified and works in Immigration and Customs Enforcement Removal Operations, was inside his apartment when he heard what sounded like gunfire getting louder and closer.
The agent armed himself with his ICE-authorized firearm and went outside, the station reported, citing a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE.
Once outside, the agent encountered a man armed with what appeared to be a long rifle, according to the DHS statement.
When the agent identified himself as law enforcement, the gunman pointed his weapon at him.
The agent fired his weapon and the gunman returned fire three times, according to the report.
The agent then returned to his apartment to retrieve body armor and contact police, KABC reported.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found the gunman dead.
Authorities have not determined whether the agent’s law enforcement status played any role in the incident.
ICE has been the target of violent attacks across the country since the federal crackdown on illegal immigration began during President Donald Trump’s second term.
An investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, according to the Los Angeles Times.
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin praised the agent’s actions in a statement provided to the newspaper.
“On December 31st, an off-duty ICE Officer bravely responded to an active shooter situation at his apartment complex,” McLaughlin said.
“In order to protect his life and that of others, he was forced to defensively use his weapon and exchanged gunfire with the shooter.”
“Fortunately, our brave officer was not injured while protecting his community.”
Two people were hospitalized in Maryland following an alleged shooting involving an agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, authorities said. Details about the identities, genders, and ages of the individuals who were shot were not immediately available, The Mirror US reported.
However, Allison Pickard, a Democratic councilwoman in Anne Arundel County, told the Baltimore Banner that an ICE agent fired a weapon after one individual allegedly attempted to hit the agent with a vehicle.
The incident occurred in the Parke West area of the city, a residential neighborhood known for its affluence.
“We took two patients to the hospital with unknown injuries,” said Lt. Josh Bramble, a county fire department spokesperson. He was uncertain whether one of the individuals taken to the hospital was a law enforcement officer.
According to Pickard, the neighborhood where the incident occurred was diverse and had a “high immigrant, Hispanic population.” Officials did not immediately release information about the severity of the injuries.
A man was seen running from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents outside a local Walmart and ran toward the Parke West area when gunfire erupted, according to the Baltimore Banner. The individual then drove a truck between two residences as agents continued to pursue him, a neighbor told the outlet.
Another neighbor, who declined to be identified, told the Baltimore Banner that she believed ICE agents fired shots from their vehicle, describing the incident as especially alarming because children may have been playing outside on Christmas Eve.
The incident comes two days after an undocumented Cuban national struck two ICE officers with an SUV in St. Paul, Minnesota, prompting agents to open fire, according to authorities. Officials said the suspect also bit an ICE agent after attempting to flee the scene on foot. The St. Paul Police Department said the suspect was taken into custody without injury, while the agent struck by the vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries.