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Special Agent

Charles W. Elmore

United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation — Washington, DC

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch August 9, 1979

Age 34

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

The Vigil Panel 267 · Column 3 · Line 10 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Military Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 88

Incident

Special Agent Charles Elmore and Special Agent Jared Robert Porter were shot and killed inside the FBI Field Office in El Centro, California. The suspect had an appointment to see one of the agents about a request submitted under the Freedom of Information Act regarding an investigation of him as a member of the leftist Weather Underground group in the early 1970s, but no connection was ever found. The suspect walked into the building with a shotgun in one hand and a .38-caliber pistol in the other. He knocked on the office door and Agent Porter answered and the suspect pointed the shotgun at him. The agent was able to deflect the barrel up and the first shot went into the ceiling and door frame. Agent Porter tackled the shooter in the hallway, and as they were wrestling around, the shooter pulled the pistol out and shot Agent Porter in the hip, arm, and chest, severing his aorta. While the struggle was going on, Agent Elmore pulled his gun out and came to the doorway. He exchanged shots with the suspect, hitting him in the chest. The coroner said those wounds would have been fatal. The suspect's shots hit Agent Elmore in the arm and in the eye, killing him instantly. Before the shooter died from Agent Elmore's shots, he put the gun into his mouth and killed himself. Agent Elmore, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served as a platoon commander during the Vietnam War, worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation for five years.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Charles is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Special Agent Elmore gave the United States Department of Justice 5 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation

Type Federal Agency

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usdjfbifed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 9, 1979

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 34

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Charles W. Elmore served in the U.S. Marine Corps (1968â1974) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Charles is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1979, 136 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 31st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Charles was 34. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Charles had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

August holds 8.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded