PHOENIX — An agent from the Internal Revenue Service was found not guilty on Wednesday of involuntary manslaughter due to the shooting death of a fellow agent following a training exercise at a gun range in Arizona.
The prosecution argued that Larry Edward Brown Jr. had acted with reckless disregard when he shot IRS Special Agent Patrick Bauer on August 17, 2023.
Emotionally impacted by the verdict, Brown expressed his deep sympathy for the Bauer family through a statement provided by his legal team. “Pat was a great man,” he remarked, sharing that Bauer served as both a mentor and brother-like figure to him. He added, “I miss him every day.”
Outside the courtroom, numerous family members and friends of Bauer were visibly distressed, with one woman visibly outraged as she threw her purse against the wall.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona released a statement expressing their ongoing support for Agent Bauer’s family and acknowledging the jury’s decision while commending their efforts toward seeking justice. The jury deliberated for approximately one hour and 45 minutes before reaching their conclusion.
The tragic incident occurred in a one-room facility at the Federal Correctional Institution gun range in Phoenix, shortly after Bauer had just finished overseeing live-fire pistol qualification exercises. Sixteen IRS criminal investigators who focus on tax violations, money laundering, and other federal offenses participated in the activity that day.
After the training concluded, another Agent exited the building to retrieve his phone, only to hear a gunshot moments later. The indictment revealed that this agent witnessed Brown—a defensive tactics instructor—exiting and exclaiming in distress that he had accidentally shot Bauer, who later succumbed to his injuries during surgery. The bullet struck Bauer in the upper torso, and no one else was within the building at the time.
Following the shooting, Brown was transported to another medical facility where he was diagnosed with an acute stress reaction. During his time there, it was alleged that Brown repeatedly voiced his concerns about his responsibility as a use of force instructor, though his attorneys argued he never made such statements.
Prosecutors claimed that Bauer’s death was avoidable, asserting that Brown neglected basic firearms safety protocols, which include treating every firearm as active, ensuring the muzzle is pointed safely, and avoiding touching the trigger unless ready to fire.
Pleading not guilty to the charges, Brown’s defense team insisted that Bauer’s death was an unfortunate accident, noting their friendship and highlighting Brown’s attempts to help Bauer, such as calling 911 and providing first aid in the immediate aftermath.
A medical expert engaged by Brown’s defense, Dr. Kenji Inaba, stated in his report that Bauer could have likely survived had he received medical attention sooner. Inaba noted that it took approximately 25 minutes for the ambulance to arrive on the scene, followed by another 14 minutes of travel time to the hospital, which was not equipped as a trauma center.
Inaba proposed that on-site federal agents with medical training could have facilitated Bauer’s transport instead of waiting for an ambulance. However, prosecutors countered that even with prompt medical attention, Bauer’s death was due to the bullet negligently fired from Brown’s firearm rather than any medical malpractice.
