Federal agent teaching firearms class killed in shooting at South Florida gun range

MIAMI — A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent teaching a firearms class at a South Florida gun range was fatally shot Wednesday morning during training, authorities said.

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Authorities responded to the Trail Glades Range in western Miami-Dade County just before 10:30 a.m. EDT, WPLG-TV reported.

Update 1:01 a.m. EDT Oct. 19: Authorities identified the agent as Jorge Arias, 35, the Miami Herald and WFOR-TV reported. Arias was struck in the chest by a single round, according to the Herald.

Original report: CBP spokesperson Rachel Torres confirmed to the Miami Herald that one of her agents had been shot at the range and died of his injuries.

“We did have a CBP officer critically wounded this morning,” Torres told the newspaper. “He was teaching a class.”

During a news conference, Miami-Dade police spokesperson Angel Rodriguez said the agent was airlifted to a Miami trauma center, where he died from his injuries.

Customs and Border Protection spokesman Michael Silva confirmed during the news conference that an agent had been assigned to the county-owned range to instruct classes, according to The Associated Press.

“A great officer, a great family, and it’s a tragic loss,” Silva told reporters.

Miami-Dade homicide detectives will be in charge of investigating the shooting, the Herald reported.

Officials did not identify the agent or release any details about how he was shot, according to the newspaper.

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