A tragic incident unfolded on Thursday during a training exercise at a federal shooting range in Phoenix, resulting in the accidental death of an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) special agent. The agent was inadvertently shot by another IRS agent, according to officials’ confirmation.
The incident took place at a gun range operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which was being utilized at the time by multiple federal agencies through an interagency agreement. Thankfully, no employees from the Federal Bureau of Prisons sustained injuries in the occurrence, as stated by a spokesperson.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) also says it is investigating a “shooting incident” at the Federal Correctional Institutional (FCI) Phoenix firing range Thursday afternoon but could not confirm additional details.
Charlotte M. Dennis, representing the IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) division in the Phoenix Field Office, responded to inquiries from Arizona’s Family later that afternoon. She confirmed that an “incident” involving one of their special agents had indeed taken place. Regrettably, the agent was transported to the HonorHealth Deer Valley Medical Center, where the agent’s life was lost.
In her written statement, she expressed the primary concern for the agent and their bereaved family.
The investigation into the shooting is being conducted by special agents from the FBI’s Phoenix field office.
In a statement released on Thursday, FBI officials confirmed they are investigating the death of the IRS special agent but did not share further details about what led up to the incident.
Following the conclusion of the investigation, the findings will be handed over to the U.S. Attorney’s Office (District of Arizona) for thorough review.