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Two FBI agents who were killed in Florida are being praised for their heroism as investigators review what happened during the shootout.
Video from local media early Wednesday showed police and traffic cones blocking the neighborhood in Sunrise, Florida, where five FBI agents were shot the day before, 11 miles outside Fort Lauderdale.
The agents were shot while serving a warrant in a child exploitation case early Tuesday, according to the FBI. The suspect, who has not been identified, started shooting and barricaded himself inside a residence at the Water Terrace apartment complex, according to Otishia Browning-Smith, a spokeswoman for the Sunrise Police Department.Â
The suspect died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, said a person familiar with the matter. Authorities are investigating whether the suspect had cameras rigged at the apartment to provide an outside view of people who might be approaching at the time of the incident said the source, who is not authorized to comment publicly.
Per bureau policy, the FBI’s Inspection Division is investigating the incident, which left three other agents injured, according to a statement from the FBI.
FBI Director Christopher Wray identified the two slain agents as Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger, both of whom specialized in investigating crimes against children.
“Special Agent Alfin and Special Agent Schwartzenberger exemplified heroism today in defense of their country,” Wray said in a statement. “The FBI will always honor their ultimate sacrifice and will be forever grateful for their bravery.”
Wray said two of the wounded agents were in stable condition at a hospital Tuesday. The third did not require hospitalization.
At the White House, President Joe Biden expressed his condolences to the families of the agents.
“My heart aches for the families,† he told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday. “To put their lives on the line, it’s a hell of a price to pay.â€
Alfin, 36, joined the FBI’s Albany, New York, office in 2009, according to FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge George Piro. The New York native has worked in Miami since 2017 and has investigated crimes against children for more than six years. Piro said. He is survived by his wife and child.
Schwartzenberger, 43, was first assigned to the FBI’s Albuquerque, New Mexico, office in 2005 before being moved to the Miami office in 2010. Her work primarily focused on tracking offenders who sexually exploit children online and investigating other crimes against children. She is survived by her husband and two children, Piro said.Â
“They will forever be heroes,” Piro said. “We are saddened by the loss as we struggle to come to terms with what happened.”
The loss of the two agents Tuesday morning marked the deadliest day for the bureau since 2013 when two agents died during training exercises for the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team. South Florida is now the region where the most FBI agents have been killed since the bureau’s inception in 1908, according to the Miami Herald.Â
Contributing: The Associated Press
Follow N’dea Yancey-Bragg on Twitter: @NdeaYanceyBragg
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