Date of Death: Died on October 11, 1925 as the direct result of adversarial action in Chicago, Illinois.
Cause of Death: On October 11, 1925, Special Agent Edwin C. Shanahan, the first FBI agent killed in the line of duty, was murdered by Martin J. Durkin, a car thief who had previously wounded four police officers to avoid capture in Chicago, Illinois. Upon receiving word from underworld sources that Durkin was planning to hide a stolen automobile in a certain Chicago garage, Special Agent Shanahan and officers of the Chicago Police Department proceeded to that garage to wait for Durkin to appear. When Durkin drove the stolen car into the garage, Special Agent Shanahan, who was alone at the time, attempted to arrest him. However, Durkin swept an automatic pistol from the front seat of the car and shot the agent in the chest. Special Agent Shanahan returned fire, but Durkin escaped as his victim collapsed. Death was almost instantaneous. Durkin was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder and received an additional 15 years on stolen motor vehicle charges. Special Agent Shanahan was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1898. He entered on duty with the Bureau in 1920. He was 27 years old when he died.
Other Links:
Read more about the day's tragic events in the Durkin - Murder of an FBI Special Agent webpage.