A fatal accident occurred on Thursday at a federal gun range in Phoenix, resulting in the death of a special agent with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The agent was fatally shot by another IRS agent during a training exercise, according to officials. The incident took place at a gun range utilized by multiple federal agencies through an interagency agreement, including the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Fortunately, no employees from the Federal Bureau of Prisons were injured in the incident, as confirmed by a spokesperson. Charlotte M. Dennis, from the Phoenix Field Office of the IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) division, acknowledged the incident and expressed condolences to the agent’s family. The agent was rushed to HonorHealth Deer Valley Medical Center but tragically succumbed to the injuries sustained.
The FBI’s Phoenix field office has taken charge of the investigation into the shooting. In a statement, they assured that the investigation would be conducted meticulously and comprehensively, leaving no stone unturned. Once the investigation is complete, the findings will be handed over to the U.S. Attorney’s Office (District of Arizona) for review.
The special agents involved in the shooting were part of the IRS’s Criminal Investigations unit based in the Phoenix Field Office. These agents are fully-sworn law enforcement officers responsible for investigating violations of the Internal Revenue Code, including potential tax crimes, money laundering, and certain bank secrecy act violations. The IRS’s Criminal Investigations Division comprises approximately 3,000 employees worldwide, with 2,100 of them serving as special agents.
Covering four states – Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah – the Phoenix Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigations has around 90 special agents. This tragic incident marks the fifth line-of-duty death involving IRS Criminal Investigations and the first involving a shooting death.