[1] The two were put under "periodic surveillance" nearly one week before the shooting after they were reported to be armed and wearing all-black tactical clothing when checking in to their hotel.

The "Zizians" are named after their founder, Jack Amadeus "Ziz" LaSota, who targeted "smart, mostly autistic-ish transwomen who were extremely vulnerable and isolated” for recruitment.

[11][5] Prior to traveling to Vermont, the duo had lived in separate Airbnbs in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Bauckholt since July 2023, and Youngblut since November 2024.

[15][16] The associate, who wasn't named by authorities, is allegedly a person of interest in a double-homicide investigation in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

[15][16] At approximately 3:15 p.m., Agent Chris Maland initiated a traffic stop at I-91 southbound, about 15 kilometres from the border with Canada, with a blue 2015 Toyota Prius registered in North Carolina to conduct an immigration inspection.

[18] The victim, 44-year old David Christopher Maland from Blue Earth, Minnesota, was a veteran of the United States Air Force and graduated from Fairmont High School.

[20] The registered owner of the car, Ophelia Bauckholt,[5] was a transgender German citizen on a current visa working as a quantitative trader for Tower Research Capital in New York since October 2021.

[7][8] In the summer of 2023, Bauckholt was described as taking part in "anxious, secretive phone calls" which coincided with her deepening involvement in the Zizian movement.

[5] The Freiburg public prosecutor's office is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Bauckholt, which is done whenever a German citizen dies abroad.

[32][7] She was reported missing to the Seattle Police Department by her parents in May 2024, who feared that she was in a controlling relationship and was being forced to cut off contact with friends and family.

[32] A journal was allegedly found by authorities containing "cypher text" and a mention of having recently taken LSD, albeit at an unknown time.

[33][34] A court filing by federal prosecutors claims that the suspect is associated with persons of interest in two other murder cases, both of which also have connections to the Zizians.

The surviving suspect in the Maland killing had previously filed a marriage application with him,[3] with whom she had attended high school in Seattle.

Senators Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch and U.S. House Representative Becca Balint issued a joint statement saying, "Our deepest condolences go out to the agent’s family, and to the Border Patrol".

[20] Representative Mark Green, who chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security, issued a statement saying he was "heartbroken by the loss of Agent David Maland", adding that "[w]e must never forget that the men and women in green on the frontlines of this border crisis defend our homeland at great personal cost", and that "[f]ar too often these courageous public servants, like Agent Maland, pay the ultimate price".