On January 24, 2026, Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old American intensive care nurse, was shot and killed by United States Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This occurred amid widespread protests against a federal immigration crackdown and followed the January 7 fatal shooting of Renée Good, also by federal officers. Video recordings of the incident showed Pretti filming law enforcement agents with his phone and directing traffic. Pretti stood between an agent and a woman whom the agent had pushed to the ground, putting his arm around the woman. He was subsequently pepper-sprayed and wrestled to the ground by several federal agents, with around six surrounding him when he was shot and killed. Bystander video verified and reviewed by Reuters and the The Wall Street Journal appears to show an agent removing a gun and moving away from Pretti less than a second before another agent fires at him. According to The Guardian, while Pretti was legally licensed to carry a handgun, the publicly available video evidence reviewed by the paper does not show him holding one. In reviewing video evidence, both Reuters and The New York Times concluded that he was holding a cell phone, not a gun, in the moments before being tackled. Agents shot at him at least ten times within five seconds, beginning while he was pinned to the ground and continuing after he collapsed and his body lay motionless. The Trump administration defended the shooting. Its narrative hinges on several claims that, in the assessment of the Minnesota Star Tribune, are uncorroborated or contradicted by witnesses and video evidence. The shooting accelerated ongoing protests against US immigration forces locally and nationally. As with the Renée Good case, state investigators were denied access to the shooting scene by the federal government. == Background == The incident was the third shooting by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in three weeks. On January 7, a federal agent fatally shot Renée Good, an incident that set off protests that drew thousands. The following week, a Venezuelan man, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, was shot in the leg by an immigration officer and survived. According to Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, the federal agents involved in the shooting were conducting an operation to detain an undocumented immigrant with a "significant criminal history". Minnesota court and Department of Corrections records contradicted Bovino's claim; no person of the name given by Bovino had any criminal history in Minnesota, only misdemeanor-level traffic offenses from more than a decade ago. A witness in the doughnut shop near the location of the incident told news outlets that a man entered the shop and the door was locked, denying federal agents entry. This reportedly caused federal agents to call for backup and become aggressive toward observers, including Pretti. === Alex Pretti === Alex Jeffrey Pretti of Minneapolis was a 37-year-old American citizen. Born in Illinois, Pretti was a 2006 graduate of Preble High School in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He worked as a research scientist before attending the University of Minnesota, where he graduated in 2011, in order to become a registered nurse. At the time of his death, Pretti held an active nursing license and was an intensive care nurse at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Minneapolis. He was a member of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a union representing federal employees. According to local officials, Pretti was a lawful gun owner and had a Minnesota permit to carry a gun. The same state permit allows both open and concealed carry. Pretti had no criminal record. A neighbor interviewed by The New York Times said Pretti was "not a violent person". Pretti had participated in protests against the killing of Renée Good earlier in January 2026. His father told reporters that Pretti had acknowledged warnings from his parents to be careful while protesting. == Shooting == On January 24, 2026, at 09:05 CST, Alex Pretti was shot multiple times by Border Patrol agents at the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. A witness stated that ICE agents were attempting to enter a restaurant but were refused. Videos of the incident showed Pretti recording agents alongside two legal observers. Twenty-eight seconds before the first shot was fired, one agent pushed a legal observer wearing an orange backpack. Pretti responded by moving to the sidewalk, attempting to help the two other people being pushed by agents. Pretti stood between the agent and the woman he had pushed, and was pepper-sprayed by that same agent. Pretti wrapped his arms around the fallen person who had just been shoved. An agent then shoved Pretti, and the two fell back, still embracing. Several agents wrestled Pretti onto the sidewalk, one officer struck him with an object, and then ten shots were fired over a period of five seconds. According to analysis by The New York Times, agents yelled that Pretti had a gun approximately eight seconds after Pretti had been pinned to the ground. The Department of Homeland Security said that Pretti "approached" Border Patrol officers with a handgun, and an agent sprayed mace before firing defensive shots after attempting to disarm him. Video of the incident showed Pretti's phone in his right hand and nothing in his left hand. In a sworn testimony, two witnesses to the killing said that Pretti did not brandish a gun. Multiple videos showed a federal agent pulling a gun from the scuffle matching the description later given by DHS, followed by two other federal agents using their guns to shoot Pretti; according to The Wall Street Journal: "A frame-by-frame review ... shows a federal officer pulling a handgun away from Pretti. Less than a second later, an agent fires several rounds." The woman who took the clearest video of the killing testified that Pretti was not resisting agents and was instead focused on helping a woman who had been pushed to the ground. She said that DHS's account of the events was wrong. A second witness testified seeing Pretti yelling at agents but not attacking them or brandishing a weapon. A physician who was present before emergency medical services arrived was initially prevented by immigration agents from assessing Pretti's condition because they did not have their physician's license on them. When the physician was eventually allowed access, they observed at least three bullet wounds in Pretti's back, one in the upper-left chest, and one possible bullet wound to the neck. Shortly after, medics attempted to revive Pretti. DHS stated that Pretti died on the scene. === Witness statements === Minnesota Public Radio reported a statement from a witness to the shooting: "The gentleman I was standing next to was focused on helping people who were coming into Nicollet Avenue understand that they needed to take it slow and helping them get through. The ICE agents approached us, told us to [']back up, back up.['] I'm not even sure why[—]we were helping them, if anything. And I got on the snow bank, and next thing I knew, they shot him." Another witness explained to CNN how the incident unfolded. The witness was in a doughnut shop when someone came into the shop with federal officers in pursuit. The officers could not enter the shop and called for backup; various community members contacted a "network for first responders" to assist. The witness said: "What I saw is that there was a lot of people, getting together trying to come and get the attention from the officers, and they managed to do it, but the way that the officers reacted when they saw these people, they started pushing them away and like being physical to them, and as they were being physical to this one lady in particular, she tried to look to somebody to grab onto, and it just happened to be this person who got shot." Two witnesses to the shooting testified in sworn affidavits on the day of the shooting in an existing lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union against Kristi Noem. One of the witnesses was a physician who testified that he was initially barred from providing assistance to Pretti. The physician stated that agents were not performing CPR on Pretti but instead had him on his side and appeared to be counting how many bullet wounds that he had. The other witness testified that she never saw Pretti draw or otherwise hold a gun, but that he instead had approached the agents with a camera while he was trying to assist a protestor who had been knocked down by the agents. She said that she saw four or five agents on top of Pretti when they began shooting him. Her testimony also included that the agents were looking for her in connection to the shooting and that she was fearful to return to her house. === Shooters === Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino said an officer who shot Pretti had been serving with the Border Patrol for eight years and had "extensive training as a Range Safety Officer". The New York Times reported that two officers fired at least ten shots at Pretti over a period of five seconds. Bovino reported that as of January 25, 2026, all agents present at the scene of the shooting were still on the job, though they had been placed on administrative duty and/or relocated out of Minneapolis for the officers' safety. == Aftermath == Following the shooting, over 100 people assembled at the site of the incident to protest. Onlookers called federal agents cowards and told them to go home. One officer mockingly responded "Boo hoo." News about the shooting was transmitted across rapid response networks, including Signal group chats. Federal agents fired tear gas and stun grenades at protesters. Protestors and a KARE 11 reporter were pepper-sprayed. Two protesters were arrested after attempting to cross the police tape. Protesters chanted "I smell Nazis". Several witnesses were detained and taken to the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials attempted to dismiss local police from the scene, which Minneapolis police chief Brian O'Hara refused. Protesters blocked an intersection near the shooting. Some restaurants along the street of the shooting offered coffee and opened their doors to protesters. Protests were held in Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Durham, North Carolina; Oak Park, Illinois, near Chicago; downtown Los Angeles, and Boston. The Guardian estimated that thousands demonstrated in New York City, and hundreds in San Francisco, Providence, and Minneapolis. Hennepin County sheriff Dawanna Witt asked the National Guard for help at the Whipple Federal Building due to concerns about "potential for unrest" after the shooting. Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey also submitted a request for the National Guard to support the local police. Later the same day, January 24, Minnesota governor Tim Walz activated the state's National Guard. The National Basketball Association (NBA) game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors, originally scheduled for the day of the shooting in downtown Minneapolis, was postponed to the next day due to safety concerns. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said that playing the game on its original date "just didn’t feel like the right thing to do". A moment of silence for Pretti was held before the game, as it was two weeks previously for Renée Good. The night of the shooting, thousands of people attended candlelight vigils that were held at street corners, on sidewalks, at parks, and various locations across the Twin Cities region. A GoFundMe fundraiser for Pretti's family reached US$700,000 in donations by the following day. == Investigation == Mary Moriarty, the county attorney of Hennepin County, called for the scene to be secured by local law enforcement. Moriarty later stated that her office was working alongside the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and that she expected federal authorities to let the bureau investigate the scene. Hours after the shooting, three armored vehicles from the Federal Bureau of Investigation appeared at the scene of the incident. According to Minneapolis Police Department chief Brian O'Hara, DHS officials blocked local police from accessing the scene, even though the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension had a warrant signed by a judge enabling access. Secretary Kristi Noem indicated that the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was denied access to the scene because Minnesota "refuses to cooperate with ICE," which the Minnesota Department of Corrections characterized as "misinformation." According to a Trump administration official who spoke to Axios, the man had a firearm that was recovered at the scene. A DHS statement indicated the victim was carrying two magazines and no form of identification. The Department of Homeland Security claimed that the man evidently wanted to "massacre law enforcement". Minnesota officials have stated that Pretti had a lawful permit to carry a firearm. The United States Department of Justice initiated a federal investigation on the day of the shooting. == Responses == === Pretti family === Pretti's parents released a statement saying they were "heartbroken but also very angry". The statement continued "the sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting", and said: "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 urged people to push back against government claims about Pretti, saying "Please get the truth out about our son." === Local === Minnesota governor Tim Walz stated that he spoke to officials in the Trump administration after the shooting. On social media, he called the shooting "sickening", said President Trump "must end this operation", and added "Minnesota has had it." He also said Minnesotans are creating a "log of evidence" to prosecute federal agents. Walz activated the Minnesota National Guard to assist local police at the request of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and the Minneapolis city government. Minnesota senators Amy Klobuchar (D), a candidate in the gubernatorial election to succeed Walz, and Tina Smith (D) condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement's continued presence following the shooting. Ilhan Omar, the US House representative for the district that includes all of Minneapolis, and Minnesota state senator Omar Fateh described the shooting as an "execution". On the same day of the shooting, Minnesota US District Court Judge Eric C. Tostrud approved a request for a temporary restraining order against DHS in a lawsuit filed by the county attorney's office for Hennepin County in partnership with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), ruling that all evidence related to the shooting be preserved. The Minnesota Attorney General's office has also reportedly joined the Hennepin County and BCA lawsuit against DHS. === National === ==== White House ==== President Donald Trump was briefed on the shooting. After threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act earlier in the month, Trump accused Governor Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey of inciting insurrection with their criticism of ICE's operations in the state. Vice President JD Vance blamed local officials for ignoring requests from ICE. Hours after the shooting, before any investigation had occurred, top White House advisor Stephen Miller claimed without evidence that Pretti was a "domestic terrorist" who had "tried to assassinate federal law enforcement". ==== Law enforcement ==== In a press conference on the day of the shooting, Bovino stated without evidence that the incident "looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement". On the day after the incident, Bovino was interviewed on State of the Union by Dana Bash and he stated, "The victims are the Border Patrol agents." He praised the law enforcement officers that shot Pretti, stating that they had "prevented any specific shootings of law enforcement", and he speculated that Pretti was "more than likely" there to assault officers. When asked about Pretti's second amendment rights, Bovino stated: "What I’m saying is we respect that Second Amendment right. But those rights don’t count when you riot and assault, delay, obstruct and impede law enforcement officers." Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Kash Patel said in an interview regarding Pretti's second amendment rights: "You cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It's that simple." In a press conference, United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem accused Pretti of being a domestic terrorist and of carrying his firearm in an unlawful, dangerous manner. ==== Department of Justice ==== Attorney General Pam Bondi faulted Minnesota politicians and Minneapolis' sanctuary city policies for the shooting. First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli posted on Twitter: "If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you. Don't do it!" The gun-rights organizations National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America both criticized the comments. The National Rifle Association called these comments "dangerous and wrong" and called for a full investigation. Gun Owners of America responded by stating: "We condemn the untoward comments of U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. Federal agents are not 'highly likely' to be 'legally justified' in 'shooting' concealed carry licensees who approach while lawfully carrying a firearm. The Second Amendment protects Americans' right to bear arms while protesting—a right the federal government must not infringe upon." ==== Other politicians ==== Multiple Democratic politicians in both federal and state governments condemned the shooting, describing the Trump administration as responsible. Some, such as US senator from Oregon Jeff Merkley and US representative from Oregon Maxine Dexter, decried the shooting as murder. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (NY-D), speaking on behalf of the Democratic caucus, vowed to block any spending package that included funding for DHS. This escalated the risk of a government shutdown. Senator Thom Tillis (NC-R) called for a "thorough and impartial investigation", while senator Bill Cassidy (LA-R) called for an investigation to be conducted jointly by the federal and state governments and asserted: "The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing. The credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake." Senators Pete Ricketts (NE-R), Lisa Murkowski (AK-R), and Susan Collins (ME-R) have also called for comprehensive and transparent investigation. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-D) contrasted conservative condemnation of Pretti for concealed carrying to their defense of Kyle Rittenhouse in the 2020 Kenosha unrest shooting, wherein he shot and killed two unarmed protesters with an assault rifle. Ocasio-Cortez stated: "How rich is it that [Kristi Noem] is saying showing up to the scene of a protest with a legally owned weapon should be grounds for a person's death, execution at the hands of the state, by the same party and the same administration that praises Kyle Rittenhouse." Rittenhouse himself made several social media posts mocking Pretti's death. Representative and concealed carry advocate Randy Fine (FL-R) repeated the falsehood that Pretti had attacked ICE officers and commended ICE's killing of Pretti, stating: "The insurrectionist was put down. Well done." Former president Barack Obama and Michelle Obama called Pretti's killing "a heartbreaking tragedy", adding that "It should also be a wake up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault." === Labor unions === The president of AFGE Professional Local 3669, of which Pretti was a member, said his death was "the direct result of an administration that has chosen reckless policy, inflammatory rhetoric, and manufactured crisis". The American Nurses Association called for a "full, unencumbered investigation" to be released publicly. The NBA Players Association endorsed the ongoing protests in Minnesota. The National Border Patrol Council, the labor union representing United States Border Patrol agents, said rhetoric from politicians and media "have encouraged these reckless confrontations and attacks on our agents and officers". === Culture and sports === The killing prompted negative commentary from several American athletes, including professional basketball players Tyrese Haliburton, who said Pretti had been murdered, and Breanna Stewart, who called for the abolition of ICE. Current and former professional American football players Ryan Clark and Dwight McGlothern also criticized the situation in Minneapolis. == Analysis == The New York Times noted that in Minnesota, citizens with a firearms permit are legally entitled to openly carry a handgun in public. The Guardian noted that Bovino was reprimanded by a federal judge in late 2025 for lying about his justification for throwing a gas canister without warning at protesters in Chicago, Illinois. The killing resurfaced questions of whether the agents who shot Pretti could be prosecuted by the state or federal government or sued for civil damages. == See also == 2026 U.S. Border Patrol shooting in Portland, Oregon Abolish ICE – American political movement Deaths, detentions and deportations of American citizens in the second Trump administration Killing of Geraldo Lunas Campos – 2026 death in ICE custody Killing of Silverio Villegas González – 2025 shooting by a US immigration agent List of killings by law enforcement officers in the United States, January 2026 Protests against mass deportation during the second Trump administration == References == == External links == Media related to Killing of Alex Pretti at Wikimedia Commons Court docket for Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension v. Noem (D. Minn.), 0:26-cv-00628