Man shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis: leaders speak out

By Alicia Underlee Nelson

A 37-year-old man from Minneapolis was shot during an incident involving federal immigration officers on Jan. 24. Hospital records obtained by the Associated Press (AP) stated that the man was pronounced dead at Hennepin County Medical Center. The victim was identified as Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen and ICU nurse, on Saturday afternoon.

The event occurred near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in the Whittier neighborhood on Saturday morning. This stretch of Nicollet Avenue in south Minneapolis is known as Eat Street and features blocks of diverse, locally owned restaurants, bakeries and coffee shops. The City of Minneapolis confirmed awareness of the incident with a statement on X at 9:48 a.m. on Saturday. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) vehicles arrived on the scene just after 11 a.m.

Eyewitness video filmed by bystanders across Nicollet Avenue shows at least six officers in masks and tactical vests wrestling a man to the ground. One officer strikes the man while he is restrained by other agents. As the man attempts to pull himself up to his knees, a shot is fired. Several more shots ring out as the man falls back onto the sidewalk.

“At 9:05 AM CT, as DHS law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault, an individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, seen here," states a Department of Homeland Security post on X logged at 11:31 a.m. on Jan. 24. "The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted. More details on the armed struggle are forthcoming. Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots. Medics on scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject but was pronounced dead at the scene.”

Bystander video shows officers backing away from the victim immediately after the shooting. He lies on his back on the sidewalk, with just his feet visible from across the street.

In a Saturday news conference, Police Chief Brian O'Hara of the Minneapolis Police Department confirmed that Pretti was a legal gun owner who had a permit to carry the firearm. He added that Pretti had no known interactions with the police and no criminal record aside from parking tickets. 

The shooting occurred a day after thousands of people marched through downtown Minneapolis, protesting the presence of officers in the city and across Minnesota. At least 75-100 people gathered near the shooting site following the incident on Saturday. They were characterized as “rioters” in the previously mentioned DHS statement on X. Officers deployed chemical agents, flash bangs and pepper balls into the crowd.

Minnesota's leaders responded to the shooting quickly. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey addressed the city at a Saturday press conference. 

"I just saw a video of more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents and shooting him to death," said Frey. "How many more residents, how many more Americans, need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end?"

This is the third shooting involving federal agents in Minneapolis in less than a month. On Jan. 7., ICE officer Jonathan Ross shot and killed Renee Good, an American citizen. A federal agent shot a Venezuelan national, Julio Sosa-Celis, in the leg on Jan. 14. Sosa-Celis survived.

“I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning,” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz wrote on X at 10:03 a.m. “Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”

Frey's press ended his press conference remarks with an appeal to all Americans, whether they live in Minneapolis or not. He implores listeners to take a broader view of the events in his city.

"So, to everyone listening, stand with Minneapolis. Stand up for America," Frey said. "Recognize that your children will ask you what side you were on. Your grandchildren will ask you what you did to act to prevent this from happening again to make sure that the foundational elements of our democracy were rock solid. What did you do to protect your city? What did you do to protect your nation? This is not what America is about. This is not a partisan issue. This is an American tradition."