The man who was shot and killed by an off-duty U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer at a Northridge apartment complex on New Year’s Eve has been identified by Black Lives Matter Los Angeles and social media as Keith “Putt” Porter.
Authorities have not released the victim’s full identity. Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, along with Porter’s family and loved ones, will hold a community vigil in memory of Porter on Sunday. A memorial will be held at the Village Pointe Complex (17171 Roscoe Blvd., Northridge), where Wednesday’s fatal last-hour shooting occurred.
“This vigil is about remembering Keith as a person, not a headline or label, and standing with his family as they demand truth and accountability,” Black Lives Matter Los Angeles organizers said in a statement. “An off-duty federal agent took his own life, and the community deserves clear answers, full transparency and justice.”
Porter’s friends and family took to social media to express their sadness at the sudden death.
“This is the friend so many of us wish we had,” Brian Taylor wrote on Facebook, describing Porter as a funny, calm, down-to-earth man who loved life.
“I love this man sincerely and with all my heart. Putt was an amazing friend to me. He was always there for me no matter what I needed. This truly breaks my heart… Praying for his mother, children and his entire family,” Mimi Love wrote on Facebook.
An Instagram user who said he worked with Porter at Home Depot commented on his last post on Instagram: “He’s one of the most beloved people in this store. He’s already a legend here… It’s heartbreaking.”
Read more: Gunman shot and killed by off-duty ICE agent; LAPD investigating
Authorities have not yet identified the ICE agent responsible.
Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Allen Hamilton said the New Year’s Eve deaths are being investigated by the Robbery-Homicide Unit, which handles all cases involving shots fired by personnel from outside law enforcement agencies.
Because the incident involved a federal agent, the case is also being handled by the FBI, U.S. Department of Justice and Homeland Security Investigations.
Following the incident, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said ICE agents were responding to an “active shooter incident” at his apartment complex.
However, no one else was injured at the scene. neighbor’s statement It sparked speculation that Porter may have rang in the New Year by firing a gun into the air, a felony punishable by jail time because of the high risk of death or injury.
Hamilton said it was “too early” to tell whether that was the case.
Read more: Police officer video raises questions about ICE shooting of TikTok streamer
Police detectives have not yet spoken with ICE agents because of protocols on how to conduct deadly force investigations with federal law enforcement agents. “We won’t be interviewing them for a few days,” Hamilton said.
After the incident, Department of Homeland Security officials issued a brief statement saying the agent fired his weapon “to protect his own life and the lives of others.”
“He was forced to use his weapon defensively and engaged the shooter,” said Tricia McLaughlin, the department’s assistant secretary for public affairs, adding that ICE agents later contacted police.
Police responded to the Valley Village Pointe apartment complex at Roscoe Boulevard and Amestoy Avenue in Northridge at 11:37 p.m. Wednesday, the city news service reported.
Early reports from news organizations quoted an unnamed Los Angeles Police Department official as saying the man who was killed was firing an assault rifle into the air. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
By Friday morning, a small makeshift memorial with votive candles and roses had gone up outside a ground-floor apartment that neighbors said was connected to the slain man. When a Times reporter knocked on the door on Friday, no one answered.
several neighbors Express alertness One of the women said a stray bullet hit her apartment.
Black Lives Matter Los Angeles said in a statement that Sunday’s vigil will provide a space for community members to honor Porter’s life “and stand with his family while calling for justice and accountability from federal authorities.”
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.