An off-Duty ICE Agent Fatally Shot Keith Porter, a U.S. Citizen Described as a Proud "Girl Dad"

Less than a week after her son was killed, Franceola Armstrong took to Facebook to express her deep sadness. "My heart is shattered beyond words," she wrote. "My beloved son, Keith Porter, was taken from us, and I am grieving a pain no mother should ever know." She went on to say that he was more than a headline. "He was a son, a father, a light, and he leaves behind two beautiful daughters who will forever carry his love and his legacy."

The comments section is filled with kind words from people, most of whom appear to be strangers to Armstrong and Porter. Most said they would pray for the devastated mother and her family, as well as the children left behind in the wake of Porter's death. Those who knew Porter echoed what Armstrong wrote about her son. What happened to Keith Porter? Here's what we know.

According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) obtained by Fox 11, "An off-duty ICE officer bravely responded to an active shooter situation at his [Porter's] apartment complex" in Northridge, Calif., on Dec. 31, 2025. DHS goes on to claim the agent was "forced to defensively use his weapon" to protect his life and the lives of others. They then directed all inquiries to the Los Angeles Police Department, which is in charge of the investigation.

Jamal Tooson is the attorney representing Porter's family, and he has some questions about what happened that night. Authorities said Porter was firing "celebratory shots into the air" using an AR-15 style rifle outside of his apartment complex, when an off-duty ICE agent who lived in the building approached him. The agent said after he identified himself as law enforcement, Porter turned to him and fired. That's when the agent returned fire, killing Porter.

"According to his version, Keith shot three shots toward him," said Tooson. "We have questions about whether there were any shell casings recovered from Keith's weapon that would indicate that he, in fact, fired the weapon three times." Porter's family said they have not found a witness who can corroborate this story.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the identify of the ICE agent has not been released. Per the LAPD's policies, the identity of an officer involved in a serious use-of-force cases would have to be released. Apparently the Department of Homeland Security is not legally obligated to do the same.

While Porter's death is being reviewed by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, there might not be any answers for several years. That's how long it can sometimes take to establish if deadly use of force was a crime. Because the ICE agent was off-duty, there is no body cam footage of the incident. Eyewitnesses filmed the aftermath of the shooting, and only captured LAPD units responding to the scene after Porter had been shot.