An off-duty ICE agent who shot his rifle-wielding neighbor dead in Northridge on New Year’s Eve was defending himself against an “active shooter,” officials said — as the dead man’s friends claimed he was only celebrating the holiday with gunfire.
The unidentified agent confronted Keith Porter, 43, outside their apartment complex after he heard the sound of “multiple” gunshots from within his home that seemed to be getting closer and closer, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told CBS News.
The agent found Porter outside on the building’s ground level armed with a long rifle — and fired a shot to try to “disarm” him when Porter didn’t comply, she added. Porter returned at least three shots before the agent fatally shot him, officials said.
“On December 31, an off-duty ICE officer bravely responded to an active shooter situation at his apartment complex,” an ICE spokesperson told The Post.
“In order to protect his life and that of others, he was forced to defensively use his weapon and exchanged gunfire with the shooter,” the spokesperson added. “Fortunately our brave officer was not injured while protecting his community.”
The agent called the LAPD, who arrived and found Porter dead. A police report on the deadly clash obtained by Fox 11 said the agent “confronted Porter, identified himself as law enforcement, and claims Porter fired toward him, prompting the officer to return fire.”
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But Porter’s kin and Black Lives Matters activists pushed back on that narrative at a Sunday vigil at the apartment complex. No details were released about the race of the ICE agent.
“You don’t just get to murder people, because you don’t like what they’re doing or how they’re celebrating,” Melina Abdullah, co-founder of BLM Los Angeles, told KABC.
The mourners demanded justice for Porter and said they were planning to meet with District Attorney Nathan Hochman Monday.
“If I could say anything to the ICE agent, it’s that you’re a murderer. You stole my cousin from me. You stole their father from them,” Jsané Tyler, Porter’s cousin told KABC.
No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
