ABOVE: Davis "Chris" Maland and his canine, Cora. Photo courtesy of Joan Maland.

David “Chris” Maland, a 1999 graduate of Fairmont High School and U.S. Border Patrol Agent, was killed on Monday in Vermont, near the Canadian border, in the line of duty.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said that during a traffic stop, gunfire was exchanged resulting in Maland being fatally shot as well as another subject. A third person was injured and is now in custody.

The agent’s death was also confirmed by the FBI and Benjamine Huffman, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in Washington. According to records from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Maland was the first agent to be killed in the line of duty since 2014.

Chris’s aunt, Joan Maland, said he was born in Blue Earth and went by his middle of Chris because his father was also named David.

According to a press release provided by the family, David’s career spanned nine years in the military and 15 in the Federal Government. While working in Washington, D.C., he was active security in the Pentagon during 9/11. He was also a K9 handler and a member of the Mobile Rescue Team.

He leaves behind a fiancé, Rosanne, who said, “He was not only my soulmate, but my best friend.”

*Editor’s Note: The Associated Press contributed additional details to this report.