'A Very Dark Day': FBI Loses 2 Agents Shot & Killed While Serving Warrant In Sunrise
SUNRISE (CBSMiami) - The FBI has identified two agents who were killed, following a shooting early Tuesday morning while they were serving a warrant in Sunrise. Three other agents were injured in the shooting, their identities have not been released.
"Special Agent Daniel Alfin and Special Agent Laura Schwartzenberger, were shot and killed this morning in the line of duty while executing a federal court-ordered search warrant in a crimes against children investigation in Sunrise, Florida. Three other agents were shot and wounded; two suffered injuries requiring hospital care, but both are now in stable condition. The third injured agent did not require hospitalization," according to a statement from FBI Director Christopher Wray.
The FBI said the shooting took place around 6:00 a.m. at the Water Terrace apartment complex on Reflections Boulevard.
The agents were serving the warrant as part of a child porn investigation.
"Around 6 o'clock you hear like a rapid, 'Boom, boom, boom, boom.' I think it's a car. Two minutes later you get the same rumbling, boom boom boom boom. It wakes my wife up and she thinks it's gunfire," said Julius McLyont, who lives nearby.
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The suspected gunman barricaded himself for several hours before he shot and killed himself, according to a source. The FBI has confirmed the suspect is dead.
CBS4's Jim DeFede has learned from a source that the agents were shot through the door, never making it into the apartment.
The gunman reportedly used a high-powered rifle, and other weapons were found inside.
"It just goes to show you you have no idea what you're walking into on any given day," said Dr. Alex Piquero, who heads the University of Miami Sociology Department.
Piquero, who focuses on crime, said serving search warrants is one of the most dangerous aspects of police work.
"The problem in these cases, the officer or the officers in today's case in Sunrise, they don't know what's on the other side of that door. And you don't know what you don't know. They have to prepare themselves for what's on the other side of that door. Is that individual armed or using substances of some combination," said Piquero.
"This is the first time in I think 30 years that two agents are shot and killed on the same day. This is tragic," said retired FBI agent Richard Kolko.
Kolko retired from the FBI after 21 years. He's also a reporter for our CBS affiliate WINK-TV in Fort Myers. He explains the scope of the investigation now.
"(They) have to go through the entire operation, what happened, pick up all the evidence. You're going to get a shooting team, a shooting review team will come to Miami, they'll probably be here tonight and they're going to go through everything," he said.
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Just before 10:30 a.m., a police motorcade escorted one of the fallen federal agents to the Medical Examiner's Office.
WATCH: Police Escort Of Fallen FBI Agent To Medical Examiner's Office
"Every day, FBI Special Agents put themselves in harm's way to keep the American people safe. Special Agent Alfin and Special Agent Schwartzenberger exemplified heroism today in defense of their country," said Wray.
