Additional Coverage:
Off-Duty ICE Agent Fatally Shoots Armed Man Firing Rifle in Northridge Apartment Complex
Northridge, CA – A New Year’s Eve scare turned deadly late Wednesday night in Northridge when an off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot an armed neighbor who was reportedly firing a rifle into the air at an apartment complex.
The incident unfolded around 10:30 p.m. near Roscoe Boulevard and Louise Avenue. Residents reported hearing multiple gunshots, initially some mistaking them for fireworks.
“It was like a lot of shots,” one resident told local news outlets. “It was more than 10 shots, it was a lot of shots, and we got scared.”
According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the off-duty federal agent intervened after observing the man discharging a rifle. The agent, who has not been publicly identified, confronted the individual before firing his own weapon. He then promptly called 911.
The gunman was pronounced dead at the scene, while the ICE officer was not injured.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), praised the off-duty officer’s actions as “brave,” stating he intervened to “protect his life and that of others.” In an email to Fox News Digital, McLaughlin confirmed, “On December 31st, an off-duty ICE Officer bravely responded to an active shooter situation at his apartment complex. In order to protect his life and that of others, he was forced to defensively use his weapon and exchanged gunfire with the shooter.”
McLaughlin added, “Fortunately, our brave officer was not injured while protecting his community.”
The LAPD is conducting an ongoing investigation into the shooting. No additional injuries were reported.
This incident comes on the heels of a recent DHS announcement regarding ICE arrests of “worst of the worst” criminal illegal immigrants during the Christmas holiday. McLaughlin commented on those arrests, stating, “While families across the country joined together for Christmas celebrations, ICE continued delivering the American people the greatest gift of all: getting criminals out of our neighborhoods and protecting our families.”