Source: BBC
The fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by federal agents on Saturday has ignited a firestorm of controversy in Minneapolis, marking the second death at the hands of federal immigration enforcement in the city this month.
Pretti, a US citizen and ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, was killed during what officials described as a targeted operation in the Whittier neighborhood. The incident has intensified the rift between the Department of Homeland Security and local leaders, as eyewitness video appears to contradict the official federal narrative.
The shooting took place at approximately 9:05 a.m. near Nicollet Avenue and 26th Street. While the core facts of the location and time are clear, the details of the confrontation remain a point of intense dispute. Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino stated that Pretti approached agents with a 9mm handgun and violently resisted attempts to disarm him, leading agents to fire defensive shots. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stood by the agents, stating they responded to an assault according to their training and characterising the situation as an attempt to inflict maximum damage on law enforcement.
However, multiple bystander videos and witness accounts tell a different story. Footage shows Pretti filming agents with a phone while attempting to direct traffic near the operation. According to witness testimony and video analysis by several news outlets, Pretti appeared to come to the aid of a woman who had been shoved to the ground by an agent. As he stood between the agent and the woman, he was pepper-sprayed and tackled by at least six agents. One video shows an officer removing a handgun from Pretti’s waistband and stepping away with it just moments before another agent opened fire. A total of ten gunshots can be heard while Pretti was pinned to the ground.
Local authorities have voiced strong skepticism toward the federal account. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara noted that Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry and no criminal record beyond parking tickets. Chief O’Hara also revealed that federal agencies have not shared specific details of the incident with local police. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz criticized the federal narrative as nonsense and lies, calling for an independent investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. On Monday, a state judge granted a temporary restraining order to prevent federal agencies from destroying or altering evidence related to the killing.
