By Steve Neavling
The CBP officer who was accidentally shot and killed during a training exercise at a Florida gun range on Wednesday was identified as 40-year-old Jorge Arias.
A nine-year veteran of the agency, Arias was shot by a fellow officer and later died at a hospital.
“My husband was very proud of his law enforcement family and even though he came from a small family, he field like he was part of a huge family and I can see it now,” Ana Mary Arias told NBC 6 South Florida. “He was a great guy, a great husband. He was my soulmate and my person.”
His wife said they had been married since 2013, when he also joined CBP.
Arias was a firearms instructor and was assigned to Miami International Airport.
The officer who accidentally shot Arias replaced his training pistol with a loaded handgun, according to the Miami Herald.
“This was a freak accident, completely unforeseen. If you ever speak to anybody or any of his coworkers he was like safety guy number one,” Ana Mary Arias said.
