...
By Hollie Silverman and Adeola Adeosun
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, was shot and killed by federal immigration officers on Saturday in Minneapolis, according to his parents who identified him to the Associated Press.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara confirmed a 37-year-old man was killed during a press conference. The incident marks the second fatal shooting involving federal officers in the city within weeks, occurring just over a mile from where 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer Jonathan Ross on January 7.
Who Was Alex Pretti?
Pretti has an address listed in south Minneapolis, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune. State records show he was issued a license to be a registered nurse in 2021, which remains active through March 2026.
Read More on News
Records show Pretti attended the University of Minnesota, and his LinkedIn page notes he was a "junior scientist" at the University of Minnesota Medical School starting in 2012. Pretti's parents identified him as an intensive care (ICU) nurse to the AP.
O'Hara said at a news conference that the man who was shot was a 37-year-old white man whose record only showed some parking tickets. Law enforcement sources told the Star Tribune their records show Pretti had no serious criminal history.
O'Hara said police believe the man was a "lawful gun owner with a permit to carry."
How The Shooting Unfolded
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that federal officers were conducting an operation as part of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown and fired "defensive shots" after a man with a handgun approached them and "violently resisted" when officers tried to disarm him. The officer who shot Pretti is an eight-year Border Patrol veteran, federal officials said.
In a bystander video obtained by the AP, protesters can be heard blowing whistles and shouting profanities at agents on Nicollet Avenue. The video shows an officer shoving a person wearing a brown jacket, who reaches out for a man and the two embrace. The officer shoves the man in his chest and the two fall back.
The video then shows three officers surrounding the man, soon growing to at least seven officers. One officer appears on the man's back while another strikes him in the chest. As officers try to bring the man's arms behind his back, he appears to resist. An officer with a canister strikes the man near his head several times.
A shot rings out, though it's not clear from where it came. Multiple officers back off after the shot, more shots are heard, and the man lies motionless on the street.
Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said the officer who shot Pretti had extensive training as a range safety officer and in using less-lethal force.
...
More To Know
The shooting occurred amid widespread daily protests in the Twin Cities since Good's killing on January 7. Saturday's shooting happened a day after thousands of demonstrators protesting the crackdown on immigrants crowded the city's streets in frigid weather, calling for federal law enforcement to leave.
The fatal shooting of Pretti, who had no serious criminal history and was a lawful gun owner, has intensified questions about federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis.
After the shooting, an angry crowd gathered and screamed profanities at federal officers, calling them "cowards." Protesters dragged garbage dumpsters to block streets and chanted "ICE out now." Federal officers wielded batons and deployed flash bangs on the crowd.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump on Truth Social: "This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go – What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers? The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves — Not an easy thing to do! Why does Ilhan Omar have $34 Million Dollars in her account? And where are the Tens of Billions of Dollars that have been stolen from the once Great State of Minnesota? We are there because of massive Monetary Fraud, with Billions of Dollars missing, and Illegal Criminals that were allowed to infiltrate the State through the Democrats’ Open Border Policy. We want the money back, and we want it back, NOW."
Adding: "Those Fraudsters who stole the money are going to jail, where they belong! This is no different than a really big Bank Robbery. Much of what you’re witnessing is a COVER UP for this Theft and Fraud. The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric! Instead, these sanctimonious political fools should be looking for the Billions of Dollars that has been stolen from the people of Minnesota, and the United States of America. LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB! 12,000 Illegal Alien Criminals, many of them violent, have been arrested and taken out of Minnesota. If they were still there, you would see something far worse than you are witnessing today!
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on X: "I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now."
**Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey during a press conference on Saturday, in part: "**How many times must local and national leaders must plead with you, Donald Trump, to end this operation and recognize that this is not creating safety in our city…We have seen these kinds of operations in other places, in other countries, but not here in America. Not in a way where a great American city is being invaded by its own federal government. I'm done being told that our community members are responsible for the vitriol in our streets. I'm done being told our local elected officials are solely responsible for turning down the temperature."
Vice President JD Vance on X: "When I visited Minnesota, what the ICE agents wanted more than anything was to work with local law enforcement so that situations on the ground didn't get out of hand. The local leadership in Minnesota has so far refused to answer those requests."
The Border Patrol Union in a statement on X: "Border Patrol agents are trained extremely well to protect themselves, their fellow agents, and innocent third parties. When a supposed “peaceful” protester brings a weapon (such as a loaded handgun) and brandishes it, there are going to severe consequences and repercussions. We have pleaded with and warned the media and the politicians that their irresponsible, hate-filled and false rhetoric is going to get people unnecessarily hurt, or worse, killed when they portray our agents and officers as the aggressors. They have encouraged these reckless confrontations and attacks on our agents and officers who are performing their lawful duties and enforcing the laws that Congress has put on the books. The fake and dishonest media and the shameless politicians should be held accountable for willfully misleading the public and enticing these protesters and agitators. We have full confidence that when more facts are revealed, our agents and officers will be shown to have utilized justifiable force in eliminating the threat."
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
Update 3/124/26, 3:17 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines