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NPR:
Tensions are escalating in Minneapolis after Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a U.S. citizen, was killed during an encounter with immigration officials on Saturday morning.
Immigration officials said Pretti was shot several times shortly after 9 a.m. local time when federal officers were conducting a targeted operation against a different man who was undocumented and wanted for assault.
Here is what to know.
The victim was an ICU nurse who loved the outdoors
Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident and an ICU nurse, has been identified by officials as the shooting victim.
The victim's father Michael Pretti told the Associated Press his son had participated in the protests because he "cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset."
His mother, Susan Pretti, told the AP her son was passionate about the environment and "took his dog everywhere he went."
Neighbors were also shocked by his death. Jeanne Wiener, who lived next door to Pretti, told MPR News that she would chat with him when he was walking his dog around their Lyndale neighborhood.
"He was a calm person; he's a nurse," Wiener said Saturday. "I'm mad. I'm angry. This was a good person. This is not a violent person."
Dr. Dimitri Drekonja, who worked at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center with Pretti, remembered him as an "incredibly competent person" who was good at his job.
"There is no reason for a guy like that to be dead, let alone to be killed by the agents of a government that employed him," Drekonja also told MPR News, adding that Pretti was a sweet, kind man who loved the outdoors and mountain biking.
Pretti's parents said they were "sickened" by Trump administration officials suggesting their son was a "domestic terrorist."
Federal officials defended Border Patrol Agents
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem defended the officers' actions on Saturday and said they "acted according to their training." Noem also accused Pretti of "brandishing" his weapon and that he "attacked" officers.
"This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement," Noem told reporters during a press conference.
Officials said Pretti had a 9mm semiautomatic handgun with him.
Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol commander, said the officer who fired shots was "highly trained" and has worked as a Border Patrol agent for the last eight years. Bovino said the shooting remains under investigation.
Bystander videos don't support key details from government
Bystander videos posted on social media appear to contradict DHS' account of the shooting.
Footage appears to show Pretti being surrounded by multiple federal agents, with several restraining him and punching him while he is on the ground before he is shot. Multiple rounds of gunfire can be heard as Pretti lies on the ground.
So far, there has been no video showing that Pretti brandished or tried to use the firearm that federal officials said he had in his possession.
Minneapolis officials are questioning the DHS account
Pretti had no criminal record and his only known interaction with police involved traffic tickets, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara. He also was a lawful gun owner with a permit to legally carry a gun, O'Hara also said on Saturday.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said during a press conference he plans to seek a temporary restraining order from a judge on Monday that would grant "immediate relief" to stop the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
Frey also said he sent a request to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for assistance from the National Guard to support "the limited number of officers that we have in the Minneapolis Police Department."
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar condemned the shooting and called for immigration officers to leave the state.
"Our message is really clear and straightforward. We need ICE out of Minnesota," Klobuchar said during a press conference. "They are not making us more safe, as the tragic, tragic killing this morning, as people saw it viscerally on that video shows us, they are making us less safe."
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the shooting "sickening" and said the state "has had it" in a social media post on Saturday. Walz said he spoke with the White House about the shooting and said "the President must end this operation."
Walz also said he was glad there was footage of the incident, saying: "Thank God, thank God, we have video because, according to DHS, these seven heroic guys took an onslaught of a battalion against them or something. It's nonsense, people. It is nonsense, and it's lies."
This is the third ICE-related shooting in Minneapolis
It is the second killing involving federal immigration officers in Minneapolis this month after ICE officers shot Renee Macklin Good on Jan. 7 in her SUV as she drove away after partially blocking a Minneapolis street.
In another incident, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celia, a Venezuelan national, was shot in the leg by immigration officers during an altercation with those agents.
Link: https://www.npr.org/2026/01/25/nx-s1-5687361/minneapolis-shooting-latest-alex-pretti
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VIDEOS News:
Local News Video: New video angles appear to show Alex Pretti disarmed before being killed by ...YouTube · WCCO - CBS Minnesota1 hour ago
FORBES:
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Fox News Article:
Narratives clash after Trump and victim's family react to second Minneapolis shooting
Narratives over the Minneapolis shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti clashed over the weekend as President Donald Trump's administration accused him of violently resisting arrest, while his family remembered him as a "kind-hearted soul."
Pretti, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ICU nurse, is the second person to be shot and killed in Minneapolis this month. Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem said the victim, who was armed, "violently resisted" arrest and that the federal agent fired his weapon "fearing for his life."
Footage of the incident shows an agent disarmed Pretti shortly before he was killed. He entered into the initial scuffle with agents as he tried to assist another protester who had been pushed by law enforcement.
A federal judge soon blocked the Trump administration from "destroying or altering evidence" related to the shooting on Sunday.
The ruling came after the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension filed a lawsuit Saturday to prevent the destruction of evidence in the case.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, names DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and U.S. Border Control, as well as Attorney General Pam Bondi, as defendants.
In granting the temporary injunction, Judge Eric Tostrud wrote that federal officials and those acting on their behalf cannot destroy evidence taken from the scene of the south Minneapolis shooting or now in their exclusive custody, which state authorities say they were previously barred from inspecting.
A hearing on the order has been scheduled for Monday.
Pretti's parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, said Saturday that they are "heartbroken but also very angry," and condemned the version of events presented by law enforcement as "sickening lies."
"Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital," the couple wrote.
"The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed," they continued.
Meanwhile, Trump highlighted that Pretti was armed and carrying two extra magazines at the time of the shooting. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller went further than other members of the administration, calling Pretti a "would-be assassin" who "tried to murder federal law enforcement," adding that he is a "domestic terrorist."
Ellison said he shares "intense grief and anger" over Pretti's death and condemned ICE's presence in Minnesota as an "illegal and unconstitutional occupation."
Link: Fox NewsNarratives clash after Trump and victim's family react to second Minneapolis shooting4 hours ago
Tensions are escalating in Minneapolis after Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a U.S. citizen, was killed during an encounter with immigration officials on Saturday morning.
Immigration officials said Pretti was shot several times shortly after 9 a.m. local time when federal officers were conducting a targeted operation against a different man who was undocumented and wanted for assault.
Here is what to know.
The victim was an ICU nurse who loved the outdoors
Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident and an ICU nurse, has been identified by officials as the shooting victim.
The victim's father Michael Pretti told the Associated Press his son had participated in the protests because he "cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset."
His mother, Susan Pretti, told the AP her son was passionate about the environment and "took his dog everywhere he went."
Neighbors were also shocked by his death. Jeanne Wiener, who lived next door to Pretti, told MPR News that she would chat with him when he was walking his dog around their Lyndale neighborhood.
"He was a calm person; he's a nurse," Wiener said Saturday. "I'm mad. I'm angry. This was a good person. This is not a violent person."
Dr. Dimitri Drekonja, who worked at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center with Pretti, remembered him as an "incredibly competent person" who was good at his job.
"There is no reason for a guy like that to be dead, let alone to be killed by the agents of a government that employed him," Drekonja also told MPR News, adding that Pretti was a sweet, kind man who loved the outdoors and mountain biking.
Pretti's parents said they were "sickened" by Trump administration officials suggesting their son was a "domestic terrorist."
Federal officials defended Border Patrol Agents
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem defended the officers' actions on Saturday and said they "acted according to their training." Noem also accused Pretti of "brandishing" his weapon and that he "attacked" officers.
"This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement," Noem told reporters during a press conference.
Officials said Pretti had a 9mm semiautomatic handgun with him.
Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol commander, said the officer who fired shots was "highly trained" and has worked as a Border Patrol agent for the last eight years. Bovino said the shooting remains under investigation.
Bystander videos don't support key details from government
Bystander videos posted on social media appear to contradict DHS' account of the shooting.
Footage appears to show Pretti being surrounded by multiple federal agents, with several restraining him and punching him while he is on the ground before he is shot. Multiple rounds of gunfire can be heard as Pretti lies on the ground.
So far, there has been no video showing that Pretti brandished or tried to use the firearm that federal officials said he had in his possession.
Minneapolis officials are questioning the DHS account
Pretti had no criminal record and his only known interaction with police involved traffic tickets, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara. He also was a lawful gun owner with a permit to legally carry a gun, O'Hara also said on Saturday.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said during a press conference he plans to seek a temporary restraining order from a judge on Monday that would grant "immediate relief" to stop the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
Frey also said he sent a request to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for assistance from the National Guard to support "the limited number of officers that we have in the Minneapolis Police Department."
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar condemned the shooting and called for immigration officers to leave the state.
"Our message is really clear and straightforward. We need ICE out of Minnesota," Klobuchar said during a press conference. "They are not making us more safe, as the tragic, tragic killing this morning, as people saw it viscerally on that video shows us, they are making us less safe."
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the shooting "sickening" and said the state "has had it" in a social media post on Saturday. Walz said he spoke with the White House about the shooting and said "the President must end this operation."
Walz also said he was glad there was footage of the incident, saying: "Thank God, thank God, we have video because, according to DHS, these seven heroic guys took an onslaught of a battalion against them or something. It's nonsense, people. It is nonsense, and it's lies."
This is the third ICE-related shooting in Minneapolis
It is the second killing involving federal immigration officers in Minneapolis this month after ICE officers shot Renee Macklin Good on Jan. 7 in her SUV as she drove away after partially blocking a Minneapolis street.
In another incident, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celia, a Venezuelan national, was shot in the leg by immigration officers during an altercation with those agents.
Link: https://www.npr.org/2026/01/25/nx-s1-5687361/minneapolis-shooting-latest-alex-pretti
——————
VIDEOS News:
Local News Video: New video angles appear to show Alex Pretti disarmed before being killed by ...YouTube · WCCO - CBS Minnesota1 hour ago
FORBES:
———————
Fox News Article:
Narratives clash after Trump and victim's family react to second Minneapolis shooting
Narratives over the Minneapolis shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti clashed over the weekend as President Donald Trump's administration accused him of violently resisting arrest, while his family remembered him as a "kind-hearted soul."
Pretti, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ICU nurse, is the second person to be shot and killed in Minneapolis this month. Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem said the victim, who was armed, "violently resisted" arrest and that the federal agent fired his weapon "fearing for his life."
Footage of the incident shows an agent disarmed Pretti shortly before he was killed. He entered into the initial scuffle with agents as he tried to assist another protester who had been pushed by law enforcement.
A federal judge soon blocked the Trump administration from "destroying or altering evidence" related to the shooting on Sunday.
The ruling came after the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension filed a lawsuit Saturday to prevent the destruction of evidence in the case.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, names DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and U.S. Border Control, as well as Attorney General Pam Bondi, as defendants.
In granting the temporary injunction, Judge Eric Tostrud wrote that federal officials and those acting on their behalf cannot destroy evidence taken from the scene of the south Minneapolis shooting or now in their exclusive custody, which state authorities say they were previously barred from inspecting.
A hearing on the order has been scheduled for Monday.
Pretti's parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, said Saturday that they are "heartbroken but also very angry," and condemned the version of events presented by law enforcement as "sickening lies."
"Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital," the couple wrote.
"The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed," they continued.
Meanwhile, Trump highlighted that Pretti was armed and carrying two extra magazines at the time of the shooting. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller went further than other members of the administration, calling Pretti a "would-be assassin" who "tried to murder federal law enforcement," adding that he is a "domestic terrorist."
Ellison said he shares "intense grief and anger" over Pretti's death and condemned ICE's presence in Minnesota as an "illegal and unconstitutional occupation."
Link: Fox NewsNarratives clash after Trump and victim's family react to second Minneapolis shooting4 hours ago
