United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Government
End of Watch Thursday, August 9, 1979
Add to My HeroesCharles W. Elmore
Special Agent Charles Elmore and Special Agent Jared Robert Porter were shot and killed inside the FBI Field Office in El Centro, California.
The suspect had an appointment to see one of the agents about a request submitted under the Freedom of Information Act regarding an investigation of him as a member of the leftist Weather Underground group in the early 1970s, but no connection was ever found.
The suspect walked into the building with a shotgun in one hand and a .38-caliber pistol in the other. He knocked on the office door and Agent Porter answered and the suspect pointed the shotgun at him. The agent was able to deflect the barrel up and the first shot went into the ceiling and door frame. Agent Porter tackled the shooter in the hallway, and as they were wrestling around, the shooter pulled the pistol out and shot Agent Porter in the hip, arm, and chest, severing his aorta.
While the struggle was going on, Agent Elmore pulled his gun out and came to the doorway. He exchanged shots with the suspect, hitting him in the chest. The coroner said those wounds would have been fatal. The suspect's shots hit Agent Elmore in the arm and in the eye, killing him instantly. Before the shooter died from Agent Elmore's shots, he put the gun into his mouth and killed himself.
Agent Elmore, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served as a platoon commander during the Vietnam War, worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation for five years.
Bio
- Age 34
- Tour 5 years
- Badge Not available
- Military Veteran
Incident Details
- Cause Gunfire
- Location California
- Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber
- Offender Committed suicide
Most Recent Reflection
View all 33 ReflectionsRest in peace Special Agent Elmore.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
August 10, 2023
Recent LODD Deaths
Police Officer Jacob Candanoza
Terrell Police Department, TX
EOW: December 9, 2024
Detective Allan Reddins
Oak Park Police Department, IL
EOW: November 29, 2024
Police Officer Jesse Branch
Red Lake Nation Police Department, TR
EOW: November 27, 2024
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joseph Love
United States Department of Homeland Security - Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, US
EOW: October 19, 2024
Police Officer Cooper Dawson
Greenville Police Department, TX
EOW: November 26, 2024
Deputy Sheriff Ignacio "Dan" Diaz
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: November 25, 2024
Deputy Constable Katherine Hutson
Harris County Constable's Office - Precinct 5, TX
EOW: November 22, 2024
Major Michelle Lynn Quintero
Madison County Sheriff's Office, NC
EOW: September 27, 2024
Deputy Sheriff Ralph "Butch" Waller, Jr.
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: November 21, 2024