CBP Firearms Instructor Fatally Shot During Training Demonstration

Miami-Dade County, FL – A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent was fatally shot while he was doing a demonstration on how to search a building during a training session at a firearms range in Florida on Wednesday.

Sources told WPLG that federal law enforcement agencies conduct training on a separate side of the facility at the Trails Glades Shooting Range in Miami.

“On the police range side, it’s mainly Customs and Border Protection, they come in on Wednesday for practice,” Dario Pederajo, a civilian member of the gun range, explained.

The range, which is owned by the county, is located near the intersection of Southwest Eighth Street and Krome Avenue, just east of the Miccosukee Casino & Resort.

Sources told WPLG that a CBP firearms instructor was conducting “building search training” with another instructor just before 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 19 when the demonstration went terribly wrong.

One of the instructors shot the other instructor in the chest, twice.

The wounded agent was airlifted to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital where he later died, according to WPLG.

“A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer working at the weapons range was critically injured while on duty and pronounced deceased earlier today,” a CBP spokesperson confirmed to reporters at a press briefing outside the hospital.

Dozens of law enforcement officers were gathered outside the hospital after the sad news was announced, in preparation for a motorcade that would take the fallen hero’s body to the medical examiner’s office.

A giant American flag hung suspended between two fire trucks outside the hospital, WPLG reported.

CBP has not yet released the name of the fallen agent, who was assigned to Miami International Airport and also served as a firearms instructor for the federal law enforcement agency.

Miami-Dade police are heading up the investigation into the shooting at the range, WPLG reported.

“Right now, our thoughts and prayers are with the family of this federal agent,” spokesman for the Miami-Dade Police Department told reporters. “It is a very tragic incident, my heart goes out to this agent’s family, he was just doing his job and unfortunately he paid the ultimate price.”