FBI special agent killed in Florida shooting graduated from Northeastern University
Laura Schwartzenberger specialized in investigating crimes against children.
One of the two FBI agents who was killed in the shooting that erupted on Tuesday in Florida was a Northeastern University graduate.
A spokesperson for the college confirmed that FBI Special Agent Laura Schwartzenberger graduated from the institution in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
Schwartzenberger and Special Agent Daniel Alfin, both of whom specialized in investigating crimes against children, were killed in Sunrise when they arrived to search an apartment in a child pornography case.
The confrontation left three other agents wounded. Two of the agents were treated at a hospital and remained in stable condition, while the third did not require hospitalization.
At a news conference, George Piro, who leads the FBI’s Miami field office, said the suspect opened fire on the members of the search team as they entered. The suspect died; his official cause of death has not been determined, but a law enforcement official told the Associated Press it is believed he killed himself.
Piro said Schwartzenberger, who was born in Pueblo, Colorado, was 43 years old. She joined the FBI in 2005, and by 2010 she was reassigned to Miami where she worked crimes against children cases for over seven years.
Rockway Middle School, in Miami, tweeted Tuesday that Schwartzenberger had taught students there about the dangers of social media for the past five years.
— Rockway MS (@rmsfalcons) February 2, 2021
“She would always say, ‘I feel that coming here and talking about the hard stuff means that I won’t see you guys on my end,’” Rockway Middle said in the statement. “With her presentations, students would gain an awareness of online safety, cyberbullying, and experience the evidence response process of an FBI agent.”
The school said she was an integral part of their law studies program, and offered condolences to her family and the FBI.
“She would always answer all the students’ questions directly with care, but with firmness, to always remind them of the real world,” the school said. “Laura’s commitment and dedication to not just Rockway, but the community as a whole, will be missed.”
Schwartzenberger is survived by her husband and two children, according to Piro.
“The FBI is a family, and our chosen profession is fraught with danger. Today, this grim reality has taken two of our best from our family,” he said. “We are saddened by the loss as we struggle to come to terms with what happened.”
She sacrificed her life to protect youth. From speaking to @rmsfalcons students about cyber safety, to fighting crimes against children, @FBI Special Agent Laura Schwartzenberger was deeply devoted to her work. Our hearts go out to her family, as well as that of SA Daniel Alfin. pic.twitter.com/2Ev4gJyIsb
— Alberto M. Carvalho (@LAUSDSup) February 2, 2021
Special Agent Laura Schwartzenberger giving a lesson on cyber safety in Law Studies! @MDCPS @MDCPSCentral @MDCPSSocStudies @miamimagnets pic.twitter.com/pRPEhT27F2
— Rockway MS (@rmsfalcons) October 20, 2016
Get Boston.com's browser alerts:
Enable breaking news notifications straight to your internet browser.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com