Thomas Bright Lankford
Agency patch
Federal Prohibition Agent

Thomas Bright Lankford

Felonious
End of Watch May 26, 1926
Age 24
The Vigil Panel 51 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Federal Prohibition Agent Thomas Lankford was shot and killed while conducting an investigation in Springfield, Illinois.

Agent Lankford had been left to guard a still in the early morning hours as agents continued raids at other locations. Unaware that their still had been raided, a car that contained liquor appeared. As Agent Lankford questioned the driver he was shot and mortally wounded. When other agents returned to the scene they took him to a hospital where he died the following day.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-DC67D9DE
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Federal Prohibition Agent Lankford served with the United States Department of the Treasury.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Federal Prohibition Agent Lankford.

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

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usdtirspufed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 26, 1926
Age 24
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Federal Prohibition Agent Thomas Bright Lankford is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In DC, 754 of 1,418 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.2% of this state's fallen. That is 53.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Prohibition Unit, 47 of 59 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 79.7% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Prohibition Unit
47
of 59 officers
79.7% Felonious
DC — Statewide
754
of 1,418 officers
53.2% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Thomas Bright Lankford's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Thomas Bright Lankford Compares

Age at Death
24
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Thomas Bright Lankford is highlighted in May.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909