More details are emerging about it two FBI agents who were shot and killed when they arrived on Tuesday to search an apartment in a Florida child pornography case. FBI Director Christopher A. Wray identified the two murdered agents as Laura Schwartzenberger and Daniel Alfin, both of whom specialized in investigating crimes against children.
Three other officers were injured in the shooting. The suspect also died.
The shootings were one of the bloodiest days in FBI history in South Florida and one of the deadliest nationally, according to the FBI website. Schwartzenberger, a resident of Pueblo, Colorado, is the third female cop to die on duty outside of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, CBS Denver reports.
CBS subsidiary WPEC-TV
Schwartzenberger, 43, had been an agent with the FBI since December 2005 and, according to court, worked in the Miami field office on a team of agents who handled violent crimes against children. Her work has mainly focused on tracking down perpetrators who sexually exploit children on the Internet and investigating other crimes against children. Schwartzenberger is survived by a husband and two children, George Piro, who heads the FBI’s field office in Miami, said at a news conference.
CBS partner WPEC-TV spoke with Schwartzenberg in 2018 for a research piece about sexual extortion. In 2013, she also spoke with CBS Miami about catching those who exploit others, including children.
Extortion is a form of exploitation where the perpetrator uses coercion to obtain sexual images or videos, money or even sex from the victim. The victim can be an adult, a teenager or a child. she said.
Alfin, 36, who also investigated cases of child exploitation, previously worked at FBI headquarters and handled major cases involving violent crimes against children, according to the court. He had a degree in information technology and attended the FBI’s specialized cybercrime training programs. He was involved in a major investigation into child exploitation called Playpen that resulted in arrests around the world.
“It’s the same with any criminal offense,” Alfin said of the Box case in 2017. “As they get smarter, we adapt and find them. It’s a game of cat and mouse, except it’s not a game. Children are being abused, and our job is to stop that.”
Alfin is survived by a wife and child, Piro said.
Alfin’s brother is a sergeant with the Coral Springs Police Department and his sister-in-law is with the Pembroke Pines Police Department, CBS Miami reported.
Alfin began his FBI career with the Albany FBI office in 2009 before leaving in 2014, CBS partner WRGB-TV reported. In a statement, the Albany office said it was “heartbroken” and called Alfin an incredible agent.
After Tuesday’s shooting, police engines with flashing lights escorted a fire truck that took the body of one of the officers to the medical examiner’s office in nearby Dania Beach. Law enforcement officers from numerous agencies lined up to pay their respects when a flag-covered body was removed from the vehicle and taken inside.
Special Agent Alfin and Special Agent Schwartzenberger were examples of heroism in defense of their country today, Wray said in a statement. “The FBI will always honor their ultimate sacrifice and will be forever grateful for their courage.”
President Joe Biden offered his condolences at an immigration event at the White House.
“They are risking their lives and that’s a great price to pay,” he said of the agents. “My heart hurts for the families.”