LOS ANGELES, CA - An off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent stopped an active shooter by fatally shooting his neighbor as the man was firing shots into the air at their Los Angeles apartment complex.
The agent, who has not been identified publicly, jumped into action when his neighbor allegedly opened fire with a rifle at the complex on Roscoe Boulevard in Northridge on New Year's Eve, authorities said, according to the New York Post.
The shooting is still under investigation, but the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) quickly defended the agent, insisting his bravery saved lives. "To protect his life and that of others, he was forced to use his weapon defensively and exchanged gunfire with the shooter," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to The Post.
"Fortunately, our brave officer was not injured while protecting his community," she added. The incident happened around 10:30 p.m. The officer went outside as the suspected gunfire grew louder, ABC News reported. He had his ICE-authorized firearm when he encountered a man "armed with what appeared to be a long rifle," McLaughlin said.
After the ICE agent identified himself as law enforcement, the individual allegedly pointed his firearm at the officer and did not put it down when ordered, McLaughlin added. "When the suspect refused to comply, the officer fired defensively with his service weapon at the subject to disarm him," she said. "The subject fired at least three rounds at the officer."
The ICE officer then went back to his apartment to retrieve his ICE-issued body armor "to better protect himself against rifle rounds" and reported the shooting to the Los Angeles Police Department. The alleged gunman was pronounced dead on the scene when police arrived.
No arrests have been made, but the Los Angeles Police Department is actively investigating the shooting. Sources said it appears that the man had no connection to the ICE officer before the shooting. Authorities have not yet released the names of the ICE officer or the deceased man.
The agent, who has not been identified publicly, jumped into action when his neighbor allegedly opened fire with a rifle at the complex on Roscoe Boulevard in Northridge on New Year's Eve, authorities said, according to the New York Post.
The shooting is still under investigation, but the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) quickly defended the agent, insisting his bravery saved lives. "To protect his life and that of others, he was forced to use his weapon defensively and exchanged gunfire with the shooter," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to The Post.
"Fortunately, our brave officer was not injured while protecting his community," she added. The incident happened around 10:30 p.m. The officer went outside as the suspected gunfire grew louder, ABC News reported. He had his ICE-authorized firearm when he encountered a man "armed with what appeared to be a long rifle," McLaughlin said.
After the ICE agent identified himself as law enforcement, the individual allegedly pointed his firearm at the officer and did not put it down when ordered, McLaughlin added. "When the suspect refused to comply, the officer fired defensively with his service weapon at the subject to disarm him," she said. "The subject fired at least three rounds at the officer."
The ICE officer then went back to his apartment to retrieve his ICE-issued body armor "to better protect himself against rifle rounds" and reported the shooting to the Los Angeles Police Department. The alleged gunman was pronounced dead on the scene when police arrived.
No arrests have been made, but the Los Angeles Police Department is actively investigating the shooting. Sources said it appears that the man had no connection to the ICE officer before the shooting. Authorities have not yet released the names of the ICE officer or the deceased man.
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Comments
2026-01-05T18:35-0500 | Comment by: Richard
Even though the defender was a LEO instead of just an ordinary citizen, it’s always good to hear stories like this which (further) refute the assertion from leftoids that “there is no such thing as a ‘good guy with a gun’”. But in this instance his being with ICE may make his situation more legally difficult given that the situation took place in The People’s Republic of Commufornia.