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Armed gunman attacks Secret Service headquarters

October 23, 2023 | | Print Article

A U.S. Secret Service office in Tennessee was turned into a crime scene after a suspect opened fire outside the building on Thursday.

Details remained scarce as an investigation kicked off in Memphis, Tennessee following the discharge of a firearm, believed to be an isolated incident. Mark Switzer, Special Agent in Charge (SIC) of the Memphis office remained terse in a statement provided to Fox News that offered limited specifics as to what took place.

“No one was injured and the individual was taken into custody by the Secret Service without incident,” Switzer disclosed to the media.

According to the report, the unnamed shooter was outside of the Memphis field office Thursday at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time when the individual opened fire on a wall. The number of shots fired was not disclosed, nor was it made clear whether or not the suspect had fired at the Secret Service building specifically or at a separate wall nearby.

Based on the preliminary findings, investigators believed that there was no specific target within the agency that the individual had aimed to harm. Similarly, though the investigation remained ongoing, investigators did not believe anyone under the agency’s protection was at risk from the suspect.

However, at the time of the report, a motive for the shooting had not been disclosed by authorities.

The shooting incident was not the only one to take place in the area last week as, according to the Memphis Police Department, on the day prior to the Secret Service incident a separate shooting had been reported shortly before 11:00 a.m.

Taking to X, the police stated that “officers responded to a shooting in the 5000 block of Poplar Avenue. The victim advised that he was struck on 385 near I-240. He was transported critical to [Regional One Health]. Anyone with information is encouraged to call…with tips.”

Of note, the Memphis Secret Service office address was listed as 5350 Poplar Avenue.

While the Secret Service is best known for the protective details that surround the president of the United States, it originally fell under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Treasury to combat counterfeiting before the federal law enforcement agency became part of the Department of Homeland Security.

Responsibilities not only included the protective services offered to the first family and other high-ranking officials and visiting dignitaries but also branched into financial investigations with an aim to “protect the integrity of our currency and investigate crimes against the U.S. financial system committed by criminals around the world and in cyberspace.”

The current SIC had taken the lead at the Memphis field office in January after having previously served with the Office of Enterprise Readiness/Procurement Division as part of a nearly 24-year career with the Secret Service in varied roles, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Kevin Haggerty
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