A 37-year-old intensive care nurse was shot dead by federal officers at an anti-immigration rally in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026. He has been identified as Alex Pretti.

Who was Alex Pretti?

Alex Jeffrey Pretti, born in Illinois, was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed going on adventures with Joule, his beloved Catahoula Leopard dog, who also recently passed away. He worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and participated in protests following the January 7, 2026, killing of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs officer.

Alex Pretti grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he played football and baseball and ran track for Preble High School. He was a Boy Scout and sang in the Green Bay Boy Choir. After graduation, he attended the University of Minnesota, graduating in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, society, and the environment, according to the family. He worked as a research scientist before returning to school to become a registered nurse.

What do we know about the shooting?

Videos from the scene verified and reviewed by Reuters showed Pretti holding a phone in his hand, not a gun, as he tries to help other protesters who had been pushed to the ground by agents. As the videos begin, Pretti can be seen filming while a federal agent pushes away one woman and shoves another woman to the ground. Pretti moves between the agent and the women, then raises his left arm to shield himself as ​the agent pepper sprays him. Several agents then take hold of Pretti — who struggles with them — and force him onto his hands and knees. As ⁠the agents pin Pretti down, someone shouts what sounds like a warning about the presence of a gun.

Also read| Killer agents: on immigration enforcement, Minnesota shootings EDITORIAL

Video footage then appears to show one of the agents removing a gun from Pretti and stepping away from the group with it. Moments later, an officer with a handgun points at Pretti’s back and fires four shots in quick succession. Several more shots can then be heard as another agent appears to fire at Pretti.

Minneapolis shooting narrative and contradicting video evidence

Following Alex Pretti’s death, contradicting accounts have emerged regarding what transpired before his death. In a bystander video verified by Reuters, multiple agents struggle on the ground with Pretti and appear to strike him before a shot is fired. Pretti falls down, after which multiple additional shots can be heard. However, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that a Border Patrol agent fired at the man, who resisted the agents’ attempts to disarm him, but local leaders challenged that account.

Statements by President Donald Trump’s administration said agents fired “defensively” against Pretti as he approached them. Pretti can be seen with only a phone in his hand as he steps between an immigration agent and a woman on the street. No footage appears to show him with a weapon.

A Federal Judge has already issued an order blocking the Trump administration from “destroying or altering evidence” related to the shooting, after state and county officials sued.

Pretti’s death at the hands of federal agents took place less than three weeks another Minneapolis resident, Renee Good, was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent — on a street about 2 km (1.25 miles) away.

Also read: The American Tumult and its impact on migration 

Brian O’Hara, the Minneapolis police chief, told the CBS “Face the Nation” programme that “the ‌videos speak for themselves,” calling the Trump administration’s version of events deeply disturbing. He said he had seen no evidence that Pretti brandished a gun.

Federal authorities have refused to allow local officials to participate in their investigation of the incident.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called on Mr. Trump to pull Federal agents out of the state while Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino accused Good and Pretti of creating the situations that led to their ‍deaths.

The civilian’s death has triggered outrage against U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. As a result, thousands of protesters have poured into the streets, demanding stringent action against errant officials.

Family denies official’s statements

“He cared about people deeply, and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with federal agents, as millions of other people are upset,” said Michael Pretti, Alex’s father. “He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street. He cared about those people, and he knew it was wrong, so he did participate in protests.”

“We had this discussion with him two weeks ago or so, you know, that go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid, basically,” Michael Pretti said.

Family members said Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Minnesota. They stated that they had never known him to carry it.

“The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting,” the family’s statement said. They added that videos showed Pretti was not holding a gun when he was tackled by federal agents, but holding his phone with one hand and using the other to shield a woman who was being pepper-sprayed.

Demands for justice grow louder

Taking a sharp dig at Donald Trump administration, former U.S. President Barrack Obama said the killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. “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,” Mr. Obama’s post on X read.

Also Read |Republican calls grow for deeper investigation into fatal Minneapolis shooting

In his page-long statement, the Democratic leader stated that people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that appear to be designed to intimidate, harass, provoke, and endanger the residents of a major American city.

“This has to stop. I would hope that after this most recent tragedy, administration officials will reconsider their approach, and start finding ways to work constructively with Governor Walz and Mayor Frey as well as state and local police to avert more chaos and achieve legitimate law enforcement goals”, it mentioned.

Would crackdowns be halted?

The fate of the enforcements led by U.S. Federal agents in Minnesoata which has claimed the life of two officials would be decided by a Federal Judge on Monday (January 26, 2026).

The state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul sued the Department of Homeland Security earlier this month, five days after protester Renee Good was shot by an Immigration and Customs officer.

Meanwhile, U.S. Justice Department attorneys have called the lawsuit “legally frivolous” and stated that “Minnesota wants a veto over federal law enforcement.” They asked the judge to reject the request or, at the very least, stay her order pending an anticipated appeal.

(With inputs from agencies)

Videos quickly emerged showing the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis protester by a Border Patrol agent that has been widely denounced as a case of excessive force carried out by untrained federal officers. The administration says it was a case of an armed man provoking violence.

The Associated Press reviewed multiple bystander videos that show a Border Patrol agent shooting and killing 37-year-old Alex Pretti after a roughly 30-second scuffle around 9 a.m. on Saturday (January 24, 2026). The videos appear to contradict statements by the Trump administration, which said the shots were fired “defensively” against Pretti as he “approached” them with a gun.

In the videos, Pretti is seen with only a phone in his hand. None of the footage appears to show him with a weapon. During the scuffle, agents discovered that he was carrying a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, and they opened fire with several shots. Pretti was licensed to carry a concealed weapon.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who said he watched one of the videos, said he saw “more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents, shooting him to death.” Mr. Frey has said Minneapolis and St Paul are being “invaded” by the administration’s largest immigration crackdown, dubbed Operation Metro Surge.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti attacked officers, and Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said Pretti wanted to do “maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” In posts on X, President Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, called Pretti “a would-be assassin.” It was the second fatal shooting in Minneapolis by federal immigration authorities this month. The first, on January 7, involved Renee Good. It also was captured on videos and produced a similar schism among political leaders.

The shooting occurred when officers were pursuing a man in the country illegally wanted for domestic assault, Mr. Bovino said. Protesters routinely try to disrupt such operations, and they sounded high-pitched whistles, honked horns and yelled at officers.

Among them was Pretti. At one point, in a video obtained by AP, Pretti is standing in the street and holding up his phone. He is face-to-face with an officer in a tactical vest, who places his hand on Pretti and pushes him toward the sidewalk.

Pretti is talking to the officer, though it is not clear what he is saying.

The video shows protesters wandering in and out of the street as officers persist in trying to keep them at bay. One protester is put in handcuffs. Some officers are carrying pepper spray canisters.

Pretti comes in again when the video shows an officer wearing tactical gear shoving a protester. The protester, who is wearing a skirt over black tights and holding a water bottle, reaches out for Pretti.

The same officer shoves Pretti in his chest, leading Pretti and the other protester to stumble backward.

A different video then shows Pretti moving toward another protester, who falls over after being shoved by the same officer. Pretti moves between the protester and the officer, reaching his arms out toward the officer.

The officer deploys pepper spray, and Pretti raises his hand and turns his face. The officer grabs Pretti’s hand to bring it behind his back, deploys the pepper spray canister again and then pushes Pretti away.

Seconds later, at least a half-dozen federal officers surround Pretti, who is wrestled to the ground and hit several times. Several agents try to bring Pretti’s arms behind his back, and he struggles.

Videos show an officer, who is hovering over the scuffle with his right hand on Pretti’s back, backs away from the group with what appears to be a gun in his right hand just before the first shot.

Someone shouts “gun, gun.” It is not clear if that’s a reference to the weapon authorities say Pretti had.

And then the first shot is heard.

Videos do not clearly show who fired the first shot. In one video, seconds before the first shot, one officer reaches for his belt and appears to draw his gun. That same officer is seen with a gun to Pretti’s back as three more shots ring out. Pretti slumps to the ground. Videos show the officers backing away, some with guns drawn. More shots are fired.

The Department of Homeland Security said Pretti was shot after he “approached” Border Patrol officers with a gun. Officials did not say if Pretti brandished the weapon or kept it hidden.

An agency statement said officers fired “defensive shots” after Pretti “violently resisted” officers tried to disarm him.

Walz expressed dismay at the characterisation.

“I’ve seen the videos, from several angles, and it’s sickening,” he said.

Mr. Trump weighed in on social media by lashing out Walz and Frey. Trump shared images of the gun that immigration officials said was recovered from Pretti and said “What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?”

Published – January 25, 2026 11:23 pm IST

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Sunday (January 11, 2026) that hundreds more federal agents were heading to Minneapolis, brushing aside demands by the city’s Democratic leaders to leave after an immigration officer fatally shot a woman protester.

In multiple TV interviews, Ms. Noem defended the actions of the officer who shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, whose death has sparked renewed protests nationwide against President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown.

Ms. Noem reiterated her claim that Ms. Good’s actions in the Midwestern city on Wednesday (January 7) amounted to “domestic terrorism,” and that the agent acted in self-defence when he fatally shot Good in her car.

Prominent Democratic officials, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have strongly disputed this narrative, saying viral footage from the scene shows Good’s vehicle turning away from the agent and posing no threat to his life.

Ms. Noem, when pressed repeatedly by CNN about how she could make such definitive statements while an investigation into the incident had just begun, insisted she and the administration were in the right.

“Why are we arguing with a president who’s working to keep people safe?” she said.

Speaking separately to the conservative Fox News network, Ms. Noem said hundreds more officers will arrive on Sunday (January 11) and Monday (January 12), to allow immigration agents “that are working in Minneapolis to do so safely.”

If protesters “conduct violent activities against law enforcement, if they impede our operations, that’s a crime, and we will hold them accountable to those consequences,” Ms. Noem told “Sunday Morning Futures”.

‘Extremely politicised’

Meanwhile confrontations between federal agents and protesters continued on Sunday (January 12) in Minneapolis, with officers seen using pepper spray against people holding signs outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in the city.

Ms. Noem accused Democrats of encouraging violence against immigration officers.

“These locals, if you look at what Governor Walz has said, if you look at what Mayor Frey has said, they’ve extremely politicised and inappropriately talked about the situation on the ground in their city,” she told CNN’s“State of the Union”.

“They’ve inflamed the public. They’ve encouraged the kind of destruction and violence that we’ve seen in Minneapolis the last several days,” she said.

Since Wednesday’s (January 7) shooting, thousands of people have demonstrated, largely peacefully, in several cities across the country, including Minneapolis, where 29 people were detained and then released on Friday (January 9), according to police.

The protesters have demanded a full investigation into the circumstances of the deadly encounter.

Democratic officials are particularly critical of the fact that local authorities have been excluded from the investigation, which is being conducted by the FBI.

“It should be a neutral, unbiased investigation where you get the facts,” Mr. Frey told CNN.

He also described as legitimate activists’ actions to disrupt immigration enforcement operations, such as one in which Good was involved.

“You need to enforce laws, of course, but there’s also a requirement that you carry out laws and carry out enforcement in a constitutional way,” Mr. Frey added.

“We’ve got pregnant women getting dragged through the street. We’ve got high schoolers just getting – American citizens, by the way – getting taken away.”

On Sunday (January 11), agents were carrying out Mr. Trump’s immigration crackdown and were seen detaining people in residential areas. People were also seen laying flowers at makeshift memorials honouring Good.

The federal security operation in Minneapolis occurred amid a highly politicised fraud investigation in Minnesota.

Published – January 12, 2026 02:04 pm IST

Police and first responders work at the scene of a shooting near Annunciation Church and Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 27, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AFP

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Law enforcement gathers on Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis, on May 30, 2024, following a fatal shooting.
| Photo Credit: AP

Three people, including the suspected gunman, are dead after a shooting on on May 30 at a Minneapolis apartment complex, police said.

Two police officers were also hospitalised with injuries from the shooting in the south Minneapolis neighborhood of Whittier.

Police said the public was not in danger but encouraged people to stay away from the scene.

No other details were immediately released. Police planned a late evening news conference to address the shooting.

An earlier statement from police indicated there were four civilians injured along with two officers.

News footage showed a large police presence at both the apartment complex and the hospital.

Melvin Carter, the mayor of neighboring St. Paul, said the city was sending police and other first responders to Minneapolis to provide support, including having officers help with security at the NBA playoff game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks.

Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had responded to “an active shooting situation,” said Ashlee Sherrill, a spokeswoman for the local field division.

ATF agents were “there to help expedite the firearms investigation piece of it,” she said.