Minneapolis witnessed another deadly encounter involving federal officers on Saturday, 24th January, marking the second killing of a US citizen by federal agents in the city in less than three weeks. The victim, Alex Pretti, 37, was shot and killed during a federal immigration enforcement operation near West 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue.
An unnamed witness has provided more details in a federal court filing about the shooting in Minneapolis of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, the second shooting of a U.S. citizen this month by federal agents in the city.
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Pretti was an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, where he cared for American veterans. City officials confirmed that he was a Minneapolis resident, an American citizen, and had no criminal history other than traffic tickets. Friends and family described him as calm, kind, and deeply committed to helping others.
Video footage shared widely online shows Pretti being sprayed repeatedly with a chemical agent, tackled to the ground, and pinned by several officers. One officer appears to fire at him at close range, followed by multiple shots.
A longer video released by Drop Site News suggests Pretti intervened after seeing another person shoved to the ground by a federal officer. Open-source analysts reviewing the footage said it appears a gun was taken away from Pretti moments before he was shot.
Federal officials offered a different version. Homeland security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said officers were carrying out a targeted operation against a person accused of assault and staying in the country illegally when Pretti approached them with a 9mm handgun.
She said officers tried to disarm him and claimed he resisted, adding that he had two magazines and no identification. Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem repeated the same account later, even as videos showed Pretti unarmed on the ground.
Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara confirmed Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry, which is legal under Minnesota law. He said federal agencies operating in the city must follow the same standards of discipline and humanity as local police and urged residents to stay peaceful.
Pretti’s parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, said they were heartbroken and angry. Speaking through local station KARE 11, they said their son wanted to make a difference in the world and took pride in caring for veterans.
The shooting comes weeks after another deadly incident in Minneapolis, when Renee Good, also 37, was shot dead by a federal immigration officer on 7th January, sparking protests across the country.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz demanded that the federal operation be stopped and said the state should lead the investigation. Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey questioned how many more residents must be hurt or killed before the operation ends and announced legal action to push federal agents out.
President Trump reacted strongly to the incident, defending the federal officers involved. He blamed Minnesota’s local leadership for unrest and told federal agents to continue their work, urging them to “do their job” despite growing public anger.
As crowds gathered near the scene, federal agents used chemical irritants to control crowds. State investigators later said they were initially blocked from accessing the area by DHS personnel. The incident has reopened deep wounds in Minneapolis, a city still shaped by the killing of George Floyd, and renewed debate over federal force, policing, and accountability.
