A tragic accident occurred during a training exercise on Thursday, resulting in the death of an IRS special agent. The incident took place at the Federal Correctional Institution’s Phoenix firing range, where multiple federal agencies were conducting training exercises. The FBI has confirmed that it is investigating the incident but has not released further details.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) also acknowledged the incident, stating that it occurred at their Phoenix firing range. However, they did not provide additional details. The FBOP confirmed that the range was being used by several federal agencies at the time of the incident.
The IRS has confirmed that one of their agents was involved in the incident and was immediately taken to the hospital. Unfortunately, the agent did not survive. It has been reported that the agent was accidentally shot by a fellow IRS agent during the training exercise.
IRS special agents are the only IRS personnel authorized to carry firearms and conduct criminal investigations. In a statement released on Thursday, the IRS expressed their concern for the agent and their family and confirmed that the incident is under investigation.
The FBI’s Phoenix field office is leading the investigation into the incident. The FBI has stated that while the firing range is located on Bureau of Prisons grounds, an interagency agreement allows other law enforcement agencies to use the facility for training purposes. The IRS was at the range for routine training on the day of the incident.
The FBI has assured that their investigation will be thorough and methodical, addressing every aspect of the incident. The findings of the investigation will be handed over to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona for review. The identity of the agent involved in the incident has not been released.
The IRS special agents involved in the incident were part of the IRS’s Criminal Investigations division, which is the law enforcement branch of the IRS. This division investigates violations of the Internal Revenue Code, including potential tax crimes, money laundering, and some bank secrecy act violations. The division comprises 3,000 employees worldwide, with 2,100 of those being special agents.
The Phoenix Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigations, where the deceased agent was based, covers four states: Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. The office employs approximately 90 special agents. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, this is the fifth line-of-duty death involving IRS Criminal Investigations and the first involving a shooting death.