A U.S. Border Patrol agent in the line of duty and another person were killed Monday in Vermont, just south of the Canadian border, in a shooting following a traffic stop, officials said.
The incident unfolded on Interstate 91 in Coventry around 3:15 p.m., Vermont State Police said.
“One U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed, along with one subject. Another subject was injured and is in custody,” said the FBI’s office in Albany, New York.
In a statement Tuesday, the FBI said the agent, identified as David “Chris” Maland, “was involved in a traffic stop on Interstate 91 southbound near mile marker 168" that ended in an exchange of gunfire.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the other dead person was a German national in the country on a current visa, the FBI said.
The FBI said that the investigation was "extremely active" and that it was "heartbroken" about Maland's death, noting he was also a veteran of the Air Force.
The FBI was working with partners from the Border Patrol and Vermont State Police to process the scene Monday. Authorities said at the time that there was no threat to the public, and Interstate 91 was closed because of investigative activity.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman said in a statement: “Today, January 20, a Border Patrol agent assigned to the US Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector was fatally shot in the line of duty.”
“Every single day, our Border Patrol agents put themselves in harm’s way so that Americans and our homeland are safe and secure. My prayers and deepest condolences are with our Department, the Agent’s family, loved ones, and colleagues,” Huffman said. “This incident is being swiftly investigated and DHS will release additional information as soon as it becomes available.”
Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., said in a joint statement Monday: “Today, Vermont and the U.S. Border Patrol experienced a tragic loss when a Border Patrol agent assigned to the Swanton Sector was shot and killed near Coventry, Vermont.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the agent’s family, and to the Border Patrol. We will continue to monitor this situation with federal and state authorities and are appreciative of the first responders and emergency medical service providers who responded to the scene,” the statement continued.
