- The FBI is investigating a shooting at a Phoenix ICE building that occurred on July fourteenth, twenty twenty-six.
- Multiple rounds struck the exterior windows and structure, but no staff or detainees were injured.
- The incident follows a temporary nationwide suspension of routine ICE vehicle stops after recent fatal agent-involved shootings.
The FBI opened an investigation after one or more people fired several rounds at an ICE building in central Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon, July 14, 2026. The gunfire struck exterior windows, but no staff members, detainees or members of the public were injured.
The Enforcement and Removal Operations office stands at 2035 N. Central Ave., near Central Avenue and Palm Lane. The location is also described as near Central Avenue and McDowell Road.
Images from the scene showed bullet holes in the windows and damage across the building’s exterior. Accounts described at least three visible bullet holes, while other reports put the number at least four.
The FBI Phoenix Field Office said unidentified people fired rounds that hit different parts of the structure.
"One or more unidentified people discharged rounds that struck the exterior in various parts of the structure."
Investigators have not identified a suspect or made an arrest. They also have not established a motive.
Investigators have not tied the gunfire to a later protest
An anti-ICE demonstration took place outside the North Central Avenue office within hours of the shooting. Authorities have not linked the protest to the gunfire.
The shooting happened as tensions rose around recent deadly encounters involving immigration officers. No official connection has been established between the Phoenix case and those shootings.
The investigation remains active. The agency is asking anyone with information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or 1-800-225-5324, or submit a tip through tips.fbi.gov.
The shooting followed two fatal ICE-involved incidents
One fatal encounter occurred in Houston on July 7. ICE agents shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national and local homebuilder, during a traffic stop.
The Department of Homeland Security said the agents were looking for another target. It said they fired in self-defense after Salgado Araujo allegedly rammed a vehicle.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare faced demands for an independent investigation into Salgado Araujo’s death.
A second fatal shooting occurred in Biddeford, Maine, on July 13, one day before the Phoenix gunfire. ICE agent David Brouillette fatally shot Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian delivery driver.
Officials confirmed that Durán Guerrero was not the intended target of the administrative warrant. Brouillette, a former police officer and Army veteran, was publicly identified on July 17.
ICE paused routine vehicle stops nationwide
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations announced a temporary nationwide halt to routine vehicle traffic stops on July 14, the same day as the Phoenix shooting. The directive followed the deaths in Texas and Maine.
The pause allows agents to undergo additional safety and tactical training. As of July 17, the vehicle-stop suspension remained in place while safety reviews continued.
Tom Homan, identified as the administration’s “Border Czar,” described the operational change as temporary.
“It's not a policy change, it's a temporary pause. This is going to be a short-term review to make sure ICE agents are safe and doing the right thing.”
Homan made the remarks on July 14. The review also covers facility security protocols after the Phoenix office sustained damage, though no employee was struck.
The Phoenix field office is leading the federal case
The Phoenix Field Office is investigating the shooting. The FBI serves as the lead agency for crimes involving federal facilities.
Heith Janke, the office’s special agent in charge, has previously said the bureau and local partners such as the Phoenix Police Department “join forces to shut down [illicit activity], making an immediate and significant impact on public safety.”
That earlier statement concerned cooperation against illicit activity, not the July 14 shooting. Investigators have provided no public suspect description or motive in the Phoenix case.
The damaged office remains the focus of the inquiry. Tipsters can contact the toll-free line at any time or use the online submission system while agents examine the exterior damage and reconstruct the afternoon shooting.
