New court documents verified the off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent involved in the New Year's Eve Northridge shooting that took the life of Keith Porter Jr. The filings have identified the agent as Brian Palacios.
The court documents, which were submitted by the ex-husband of Palacios' current partner, further reveals that Palacios kept firearms inside his home, as shared by ABC 7. This was contested by Palacios' attorney Stacie Halpern who said that investigation by law enforcement and the Department of Children and Family Services revealed 'they were unable to find anything that corroborated the allegations and deemed them unfounded.' Halpern claims that her client's actions on the night of the shooting were in self-defence.
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement, 'The suspected gunfire grew progressively louder, indicating to the officer that whoever was firing a gun was approaching his apartment. The officer took his ICE authorised firearm and left his apartment to investigate. He moved to the ground level and went outside, where he believed the suspected gunfire was coming from.'
Keith Porter Jr. was a father of two, a son, and a brother whose life was stolen by an off-duty ICE agent. His family gathered in grief demanding the truth. We will continue to stand with Keith Porter Jr.’s family until there is justice, transparency, and answers. pic.twitter.com/7k5AG5PNE8
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) January 12, 2026
The events, according to the DHS statement read by McLaughlin, went as such: 'The ICE officer identified himself as law enforcement. In response, the individual pointed his weapon at the ICE officer. The officer ordered the subject to put the weapon down. When the subject refused to comply, the officer fired defensively with his service weapon at the subject to disarm him. The subject fired at least three rounds at the officer.'
A Celebration Ending in Death
Family and advocates of Porter are disputing this narrative, saying that although Porter fired into the air as a New Year's Eve tradition, the ICE agent could have called local police instead of intervening personally. The family's attorney, Jamal Tooson, also reiterated that Palacios, who failed to identify himself, should not have taken action.
In Los Angeles, community vigils have taken place in light of the death of Keith Porter Jr. Porter's sister, Chanita Fata, said, 'You took our loved one from us. You murdered our loved one, and it's not fair. It's not right,' in a candlelight vigil for her brother. Porter has been described as having a 'wonderful soul,' and as a devoted father.
Say his name. Keith Porter, Jr.
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) January 27, 2026
Killed by an off-duty ICE agent on New Years Eve. pic.twitter.com/ub2zp4Gfv3
There are also questions on why charges have yet to be filed against the shooter, noting that the case would be different had he been a civilian. Black Lives Matter Los Angeles Co-founder Melina Abdullah lamented in an interview, 'If we can imagine someone else stepping outside of their apartment and being shot by someone who was not an ICE agent, what would happen to that person? We would expect that there would be an arrest. The whole handling of everything tells us that it's a green light to cops as criminals. It enables people to engage in vigilantism,' as shared by Capital and Main.
The shooting is being investigated by LAPD and federal agencies such as the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice, as it involved a federal agent. No criminal charges have been brought against Palacios, and the investigation continues. Prosecutors say all evidence will be reviewed to determine if Palacios' actions were lawful.
