Killed were Special Agent Daniel Alfin and Special Agent Laura Schwartzenberger. The subject of the warrant is also dead, the FBI said.
The FBI has not said much about the warrant, other than that it was ordered by a federal court in relation to a case of violent crimes against children.
Sunrise police have said the shooting took place at 6:04 am in the apartment complex. Details of the exact sequence of events have not been released, but here is a summary of the most important known developments:
• The person the officers were looking for had barricaded herself, Sunrise Police spokeswoman Otishia Browning-Smith said.
• The suspect opened fire, said police chief George Piro. Details of who fired first, or what led to the gunfire, were not immediately available.
Alfin, 36, and Schwartzenberger, 43, were shot, the FBI said.
The subject of the warrant was dead after the shooting, the FBI said. Piro said on Tuesday afternoon that he did not know how this person died.
The suspect must have been watching a camera before shooting the agents, a law enforcement source familiar with the shooting said.
“He must have shot them through the door,” the source said on condition of anonymity. “There was no other way.”
So that the injured officers could be pulled away, a SWAT vehicle had to crash into the building to provide cover, the same source said. “There were bullet holes everywhere … It was a mess,” the source said.
The suspect’s name will not be released until the next of kin are informed, Piro said.
The FBI said the inspection department is investigating the shooting.
Alfin’s work led to hundreds of child pornography arrests
Both Alfin and Schwartzenberger worked at the FBI’s Miami office in a unit investigating crimes against children. These include crimes such as online predators, sexual abuse, kidnappings and violent attacks.
And both leave husbands and at least one child.
A native of New York, Alfin had joined the FBI’s Albany office in 2009 before coming to the Miami office in 2017.
And he once played a pivotal role in an FBI investigation that led to hundreds of child pornography arrests, the FBI said.
In that case, Alfin investigated an online network called Playpen, which allowed users to “communicate anonymously through ‘hidden service’ websites,” the FBI said in a May 2017 statement.
The investigation led to the arrest and conviction of the man who founded the network in 2014 and the removal of the site itself, the FBI said.
But it also launched “thousands of follow-up investigations,” becoming a case that was “unprecedented in scope and reach,” the FBI said.
In May 2017, the investigation had resulted in the arrests of at least 350 US-based people, the prosecution of 25 child pornography producers, the arrests of 51 ‘hands-on abusers’ and the identification or rescue of 55 American children. said the FBI.
Abroad, the investigation also led to 548 arrests and the identification or rescue of 296 sexually abused children, the FBI said.
“The same goes for any criminal offense: as they get smarter, we adapt and find them,” he said. “It’s a game of cat and mouse, except it’s not a game. Children are being abused and it is our job to stop that. ‘
According to federal court documents unrelated to the 2017 case, Alfin said he is “recognized as an expert in federal court on computer forensics and the investigation of child exploitation crimes.”
The documents added that he had testified more than 20 times, in more than 10 federal jurisdictions.
He was married and had one child, the FBI said.
Schwartzenberger worked for years to keep children safe
A Colorado resident, Schwartzenberger had been an agent since 2005 and moved to the FBI’s office in Albuquerque, New Mexico 11 years ago.
She worked on crimes against children for more than seven years, the FBI said.
As an FBI agent, Laura taught our students every year about the dangers of social media and a lot more. She used to say, ‘I feel that when I come here and talk about the difficult things, I won’t end you guys.’
Her presentations would make students aware of online safety and cyberbullying, and experience the evidence response process of an FBI agent.
“She always answered all of the students’ questions directly with care, but with determination, to always remind them of the real world.”
Alberto Carvalho, Superintendent of Public Schools in Miami-Dade County, wrote Tuesday that Schwartzenberger “sacrificed her life to protect the youth.”
She leaves behind her husband and two children.
The deaths of FBI agents in shootings are rare
Tuesday’s shooting marks the first time since 2008 that an FBI agent has been fatally shot while on duty.
How the FBI and other officials have responded
President Joe Biden offered his condolences to the families of the victims on Tuesday.
“My heart aches for the families,” he said. “They’re putting their lives on the line and it’s a great price to pay.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray said Alfin and Schwartzenberger were “exemplary heroism … in defense of their country.”
“The FBI will always honor their ultimate sacrifice and will be forever grateful for their courage,” Wray said.
US attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan in South Florida said the “tragic events remind us of the courage of federal agents who risk their lives to protect our communities and our land.”
“We must never forget that, just as we will never forget the ultimate sacrifice made by special agents Alfin and Schwartzenberger,” the US attorney said.
The FBI Agents Association also offered condolences.
“These agents worked to protect the most vulnerable in our society. The FBIAA stands behind the agents’ families and pledges our support in this difficult time,” said Brian O’Hare, President of the FBIAA.
CNN’s Josh Campbell, Eric Levenson, Rosa Flores and Sara Weisfeldt contributed to this report.