FBI’s top agent in Philly under investigation for fatally shooting a dog in Center City, sources say

The head of the FBI’s Philadelphia division fatally shot a pit bull Monday evening outside a Center City apartment building, according to two sources familiar with the ongoing investigation.

They identified the shooter as Jacqueline Maguire, who has served as the special agent in charge of the bureau’s local office since 2021. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the probe.

An FBI spokesperson confirmed that an off-duty agent had been involved in the shooting — which occurred just before 8 p.m. outside the Touraine residential high-rise on the 1500 block of Spruce Street — and that an internal review was underway. But he declined to identify the shooter, citing bureau protocols.

The unusual incident spawned an immediate uproar on social media and a protest outside the bureau’s Philadelphia offices Tuesday. It has also thrust Maguire, a career agent who has largely kept a low profile since her arrival in the city less than two years ago, into the public eye — and left a grieving dog owner calling for accountability.

“Jacqueline Maguire’s reaction was reckless,” said Maria Esser, the owner of the 7-year-old pit bull Mia, and Esser’s sister, Gabriella, in a statement. “Her actions were a blatant disregard for the safety of anyone around during the incident, and her decision to use lethal force has had consequences that will last a lifetime.”

FBI Special Agent E. Edward Conway, a spokesperson for the bureau’s Philadelphia field office, said agents were working jointly with the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI’s Inspection Division to investigate the incident. “The FBI takes all shooting incidents involving our agents or task force members seriously,” he said.

Maguire could not be reached for comment. But within hours of the shooting on a heavily trafficked public street, her name had already begun to circulate on social media spurred on by a popular Instagram account that posted photos from the scene.

Philadelphia police remained tight-lipped about the preliminary findings of their investigation on Tuesday.

“As soon as we’re finished … working along with the FBI and their investigators we’re going to present anything we have — as we do in every [firearm] discharge [involving] a law enforcement officer to the District Attorney’s special investigation unit for review,” said Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore.

The incident was captured on video by security cameras outside the apartment building. The footage shows Maguire sitting on a bench with her own small dog in her lap as a woman walking two other dogs passed by, according to one source who reviewed the tape.

One of the dogs — Mia — suddenly dragged her owner toward Maguire, snatched the small dog off the agent’s lap, and began aggressively shaking it, the source said.

Maguire threw herself into the fracas and tried to separate the animals, eventually drawing her weapon, placing it directly against the pit bull’s backside, and firing into the animal’s hindquarters, according to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

Gabriella Esser, the sister of Mia’s owner, described her sibling Tuesday as a “responsible dog owner.”

“She walks both of her dogs on a 3-foot leash,” she said. “Maria wasn’t given the opportunity to control the situation or save her dog. Within seconds, a trained FBI agent pulled the trigger.”

Vuk Stojanovic, Maria Esser’s ex-boyfriend, arrived on the scene moments after the shooting to find the area wrapped in yellow police tape, his former girlfriend on her knees sobbing, and the dog he adopted seven years ago dying in her arms.

“The whole night she was crying, sobbing, stressful,” he said.

Stojanovic said no one identified Maguire at the scene.

Mia, he said, came into his life in 2016 when he took her in from a rescue organization in the city. But the dog quickly formed an attachment to Maria. They split up three months ago, and she moved to Center City and took Mia with her.

She documented the pit bull’s daily escapades on an Instagram account called @mia_and_mushu. The account’s last post is dated Nov. 13, and Mia can be seen sunbathing, lounging on the couch, and posing on walks.

“That was her baby for seven years,” said Stojanovic. “I don’t think she’s ever going to be OK.”

As for Maguire, her use of force remains under investigation. Whenever an agent discharges a weapon, an internal probe is conducted by a shooting review team sent from the bureau’s headquarters in Washington.

The process typically takes place quietly, and the bureau does not identify the agents involved. The agent must hand over the firearm used in the incident to investigators.

But by Tuesday, demonstrators organized by the group Revolution Philly had gathered outside the FBI’s Arch Street offices holding signs lambasting Maguire for bringing “a gun to a dogfight” and calling on the bureau to “take her badge.”

“There was a lot of dignity given to Maguire that was not given to [the dog] and her owner,” said Jacqueline Baker, a South Philly dog owner at the demonstration. “We can’t trust the people who are supposed to protect us.”

Staff writers Robert Moran and Jonathan Lai contributed to this article.