USC Freshman Tucker Collins, Blinded By DHS Officer, To Speak At Press Conference Wednesday

First step in federal civil rights lawsuit to be filed; the teen’s parents and witnesses to the March 28 shooting are set to attend

MARINA DEL REY, Calif., April 15, 2026 — USC astronautical engineering student Tucker Collins, who was shot by a Department of Homeland Security officer and blinded in his right eye while taking video of a March 28 “No Kings” rally, will speak at a Wednesday press conference.

Collins, 18, has spent the past few weeks recovering from the trauma of losing an eye while still trying to keep abreast of his college work. He still faces multiple surgeries and continuing medical treatment, and will need to add another semester to his college education to complete his degree.

Collins and his mother, Joann Collins, will join civil rights attorney V. James DeSimone at a press conference set for 11 a.m. Pacific on Wednesday, April 15, in the conference room of V. James DeSimone Law, 4052 Del Rey Ave., Suite 102, Marina del Rey Calif. The press conference will also be livestreamed on Instagram at @civilrightslawyerjimdesimone.

The press conference will announce the filing of a federal tort claim against DHS, the first step in filing a federal civil rights lawsuit against a federal agency.

“On March 28th, a DHS officer shot out my eye,” Collins said in a statement. “I was just taking photos. I went to take pictures at the protest because I wanted to document, to bear witness to this moment in history. In the two weeks since I was shot, much of my ability to continue my life as normal has been up in the air; it feels like everything I love is at risk of becoming collateral damage.

“But as I’ve been desperately trying to pull my life back into normalcy, I recognize that this is not an isolated incident, and I refuse to give in to fear and stay silent. I refuse to give up my ability to document injustice and do good in the world.”

Collins, a freshman, is an avid photographer who has made short films since high school and minors in cinematic arts. He had followed behind a group of peaceful protesters that splintered off from a larger protest in downtown Los Angeles and gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center. Video shows the teen at the rear of the crowd obviously documenting the scene and even stepping out of the way of passers-by.

A projectile struck Collins directly in the eye, destroying his eyeball and fracturing the bones in his eye socket. Exactly what kind of projectile the teen was shot with is still being determined. (TUCKER’S VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM BEFORE AND AFTER HE WAS SHOT IS HERE.)

“Here was an 18-year-old college student standing back and documenting what was happening when a DHS officer shot him in the eye and changed his life forever,” DeSimone said. “The law does not allow federal officers to permanently maim someone who is peacefully documenting a public protest and expect no accountability. And neither should the public.”

DeSimone added: “Under the policies of DHS and Federal Protective Police, shooting someone in the head with a less-lethal projectile is prohibited unless deadly force is warranted. Fortunately, Tucker survived this attack, but he will have a dead right eye for the rest of his life.”

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Los Angeles civil rights attorney V. James DeSimone has dedicated his 40-year legal career to providing vigorous and ethical representation to achieve justice for those whose civil and constitutional rights have been violated.

Media Coverage:

scrippsnews.com: https://www.scrippsnews.com/investigations/this-is-permanent-college-student-who-lost-eye-photographing-protest-describes-life-altering-injury

CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/15/us/no-kings-protest-usc-student-loses-eye-la

LA Times: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-04-15/immigration-agent-shot-out-his-eye-at-no-kings-rally-his-lawyers-plan-to-file-claim-against-homeland-security