Vermont officials on Tuesday identified the U.S. Border Patrol agent killed Monday afternoon in Coventry as David Maland.

The incident occurred on Interstate 91 at around 3:15 p.m., according to Vermont State Police. The FBI said Monday that a Border Patrol agent was fatally shot and that one “subject” was also killed. A third person was injured and in custody, according to the FBI. 

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol said the agent was “killed in the line of duty” and that the fallen officer had been assigned to the Swanton Sector of the border, which extends from New York through Vermont and New Hampshire. 

As of Tuesday afternoon, federal and state agencies had not officially identified the agent, but at the Vermont Statehouse, two state officials did.

Speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday morning, Sen. Russ Ingalls, R-Essex, identified Maland following a moment of silence.

“I just want to put a name to the face of the officer that was killed yesterday,” Ingalls said. “His name is David Maland, and I thank you very much for the moment of silence.” 

At a press conference later Tuesday in his ceremonial Statehouse office, Gov. Phil Scott also identified Maland as the fallen officer, extending his “heartfelt condolences to Agent Maland’s family, friends, and colleagues.”

Public records identify a David C. Maland, 44, of Newport, who previously lived in Texas near the Mexican border, though it was not immediately clear whether the David Maland identified by Ingalls and Scott was the same individual.

In an interview with VTDigger, Ingalls again expressed his condolences and noted the impact that Maland’s death had on community members.

“We have a very personal connection in the (Northeast) Kingdom with law enforcement,” he said. “We honor them, we believe in what they’re doing, and I’m sorry I never got a chance to meet this young man.” 

This story will be updated.

Ethan Weinstein contributed reporting.

A new Vermont nonprofit, Let’s Build Homes, has the ambitious goal of building 30,000 units of housing across the state by 2030.

This nonprofit, non-partisan alliance is working to “create a future of housing abundance for households of all background and income levels in Vermont while preserving the state’s unique character and cherished landscape.”

They hope to do this through breaking down barriers to construction, advocating and creating flexible policies that allow communities to grow in ways that work for them.

The organization has already garnered support from over 100 Vermont businesses and hundreds of individual residents. Let’s Build Homes has begun the process of organizing as a new, non-profit, 501(c)3. During the current start-up period, the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) is serving as the organization’s fiscal agent.

VHFA’s Executive Director Maura Collins said the coalition’s mission is to build more homes of all types for Vermonters of every background and income level.

How will building 30,000 new homes be possible?

At the Montpelier Statehouse Jan. 14, Collins was joined by steering committee members of Let’s Build Homes, including former Bulington Mayor Miro Weinberger, to introduce this new initiative.

While the organization is still in its early stages, they spoke about what people can expect to see from them in the coming months. Let’s Build Homes will tackle the housing crisis through:

• Shifting the Narrative: Promoting a shared vision of Vermont as a state that welcomes new neighbors, growth and opportunity while preserving its unique character.

• Building a Broad Coalition: Uniting individuals, organizations, municipalities and businesses to support housing growth.

• Advocating for Pro-housing State Policy: Driving reform at the state level, including support for pro-housing legislation and regulatory streamlining.

• Engaging Local Governments: Advocating for local ordinances and other local actions that enable and promote housing growth and supporting property owners and builders in navigating complex permitting processes.

• Strategic Planning: Engaging in Act 250 Tier-mapping and ensuring infrastructure investments in village centers, downtowns and growth areas.

More: Burlington organization opens multifamily affordable housing on Main Street

The state of the housing shortage in Vermont

The struggle to find affordable housing has been an ongoing issue not only in Vermont, but nationally. Collins gave the perspective that it’s not an issue only lowest income earners deal with anymore, but people with degrees, in the middle of their careers are struggling when they never did decades ago. She said data shows why that is.

The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development recently released a 2025-2029 Vermont Housing Needs Assessment. The comprehensive analysis is used to identity the current and projected housing needs of a region by examining population growth, household demographics and the availability and affordability of housing.

Looking to the past, there was a spike in the 1980s of construction, where three times the number of houses or apartments were being built compared to current numbers. The census reports Vermont’s 2024 population at 647,818, up a significant amount from 511,546 residents reported in 1985. The increase in population with a slower rate of homebuilding has left many Vermont areas with few vacancies, and even fewer affordable vacancies.

The assessment projects that Vermont needs 30,000 homes by the end of 2029 to achieve strong economic performance and growth that the state needs. To reach that number, the rate of production would need to be doubled.

But it’s a challenge Let’s Build Homes says needs to be contested, and they’re ready to unite Vermont businesses and people to fix the housing crisis.

Collins spoke directly to Vermonters stating that without housing action, “Vermont risks becoming a playground for the rich and famous while moderate-income workers struggle to live here.”

Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com.

Riveting and Ribbiting

Saturday 25

Nature devotees of all ages get their creepy-cool critter fix with Stark Mountain Foundation’s Turtles to Toads event at Mad River Glen in Waitsfield. Knowledgeable staff from the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum lead the engrossing educational program, packed with touchable artifacts and toad-ally unique reptiles and amphibians — up close and in the scaly flesh.

Dynamic Doves

Saturday 25

Capital City Concerts continues its lauded 25th season with vocal ensemble Culomba at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier. The group, whose name is Corsican for “dove,” performs a vibrant program titled “Color and Joy for a Winter Afternoon,” featuring a diverse repertoire that spans from Balkan traditions to original compositions — the perfect remedy for those postholiday blues.

Viral Vermonter

Saturday 25

Retired teacher Jen Ellis signs copies of her recent memoir, Bernie’s Mitten Maker — chronicling her experience with overnight fame — at Vermont Teddy Bear in Shelburne. Ellis rocketed into the cultural zeitgeist in 2021 when U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders famously donned her cozy creations on Inauguration Day. You can be like Bernie and purchase a pair of meme-worthy mitts for yourself!

Don’t Dream It, Be It

Saturday 25

Creature Feature Club — an intrepid troupe of performers based in White River Junction — reprises its shadow cast roles for a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at New Hampshire’s Lebanon Opera House. Iconic cult characters Brad, Janet and Dr. Frank-N-Furter come to life — on the big screen and onstage — for double the bawdy, gender-blending bliss.

Playing With Fire

Saturday 25

Snowlights: Shadow Play at Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro immerses guests in larger-than-life light displays. The illuminated indoor-outdoor event includes an interactive black light “ocean,” professional fire juggling, live music, and warm drinks and treats. Grab the kiddos and shake off January’s humdrum vibe where art, ingenuity and snow collide.

All Falls Down

Opens Wednesday 29

Vermont Stage raises the curtain on The Play That Goes Wrong at Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center in Burlington. Set in the 1920s, this Olivier Award-winning murder mystery seamlessly blends the satire of Monty Python with the wit of Sherlock Holmes, offering audience members a clever, cunning, laugh-out-loud whodunit theater experience.

Old Haunts

Ongoing

Susan Mikula‘s “Island” exhibition at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center showcases haunting, atmospheric photographs created through the artist’s use of expired instant film and old Polaroid cameras. These dreamy, surrealist vistas highlight an unforgiving 30-acre shelf of bedrock in Bellows Falls — known as “the Island” — where human activity has long defined the landscape.