A man crossing the US-Mexico border into Arizona was fatally shot by a federal border patrol agent over the weekend at about 10pm on Saturday night in a town just north of Douglas.
An autopsy conducted by the Pima county medical examiner’s office confirmed the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds. The victim’s identity and country of origin has not been released yet, but he was likely an undocumented migrant, according to local authorities.
The local Mexican consulate said it had been informed of the shooting, which was of “great concern”.
In a phone call with the Guardian, a representative from the Mexican consulate in the border town of Douglas said: “We are following closely this specific matter, which is of great concern to us.”
The shooting took place on East Geronimo Trail on “difficult terrain”. The agent responsible for the shooting had additional personnel on duty with him.
“Early indications are that one male subject, presumed to be an illegal immigrant, was fatally wounded by a Border Patrol agent who was on duty with additional personnel,” a statement from the local sheriff’s office said.
Other people traveling on foot with the killed man were taken in for interviews.
US Customs and Border Patrol is working with the Cochise county sheriff’s office on an investigation.
