Acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson on Saturday paid tribute to the two FBI agents who were gunned down in the line of duty executing a search warrant in Florida last week.
FBI Special Agent Daniel Alfin and Special Agent Laura Schwartzenberger were killed in the line of duty on Tuesday. Three other agents were wounded in the shooting. The agents were executing a federal court-ordered search warrant in a crimes against children investigation in Sunrise, Florida.
“We mourn the tragic loss of two of our FBI colleagues who were killed today in the line of duty,” said Wilkinson. “Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones and with their three colleagues who were shot in today’s devastating events. On this dark day, we pay tribute to the brave men and women of the FBI who put their lives on the line every day in support of our mission. We will never forget the ultimate sacrifice made by these special agents.”
Wilkinson, FBI Director Christopher Wray and President Joe Biden’s Homeland Security Advisor Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall led a U.S. government delegation to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that attended the Saturday funeral service for Schwartzenberger.
“During her 15 years as an FBI Special Agent, Laura Schwartzenberger was selfless, tireless, brave and committed to protecting some of society’s most vulnerable: its children,” Wilkinson said. “Laura pursued justice and she did so with dedication and integrity. We honor Laura’s memory for all she gave to her country, to her colleagues and to the many others whose lives she touched and changed profoundly for the better. The United States Department of Justice family and a grateful nation mourn this devastating loss alongside Laura’s husband Jason, and two sons, Gavin and Damon.”
“FBI Special Agent Laura Schwartzenberger was an American hero who dedicated her life to keeping our country, our citizens and especially our children safe,” Sherwood-Randall said. “Her courage is an inspiration for all of us and I know President Biden is praying for Laura and her loved ones as they grieve this profound loss.”
“It is the news we pray will never come—and when it does, every FBI employee feels it deep down in their souls, whether they had the privilege of knowing Laura or not,” Wray said. “Because we all know the risks our agents take, every day, to uphold an oath taken long ago, knowing that life can change forever in a mere moment.”
Wray added:
“On Tuesday, we lost not one of our own, but two. Two warriors who took on one of the hardest jobs in the FBI, crimes against children. Two best friends who shared the same passion, the same determination, and—in spite of all they had witnessed in their extraordinary careers—the same sense of optimism and hope that comes from work that matters. Two of the very best the FBI had to offer. It’s heartbreaking. There’s no other word for it. It’s heartbreaking for the law enforcement community, for the American people they served, and—most of all—it’s heartbreaking for Laura’s family.
“I didn’t have the privilege of knowing Laura the way many of you here did, but in learning about her life over the past few days, it’s clear to me that she honored that oath, well above and beyond the call of duty. She led a life of sheer determination, dedication, and courage. Of someone who really loved her work and the people she worked with. And of a woman who loved her family even more.”
Wray’s eulogy of Schwartzenberger can be found here.
The official delegation also attended funeral services for Alfin at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Due to COVID-19, the funeral services were restricted to invited guests only.
