A man was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis on Saturday morning, thesecond fatal shootingin just over two weeks by federal authorities in the city.
The incident follows the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Good by a federal agent less than three miles away, and comes as the city is convulsed bymass protestscalling for an end to the surge of immigration agents.
The victim was named as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident and intensive care unit nurse who treated veterans. His family said he was motivated to join protests after Good's killing.
Several videos of the shooting show an altercation taking place around 9 am when a woman protester was pushed to the ground by a Border Patrol agent. When Pretti attempts to stand between the agent and the woman, the agent pepper-sprays him. More agents join the fray and tackle Pretti to the ground as he is disoriented. As close to seven agents restrain Pretti on the ground, one emerges from the melee with a gun, and soon after, a shot rings out, then several more in quick succession. At least 10 shots were fired in around five seconds, including several as Pretti lay motionless on the ground.
Read more:Minnesotans Shutter Businesses and Call Off Work in Economic Blackout Day to Protest ICE
President Donald Trump responded to the shooting in a lengthy post on Truth Social that called immigration agents "patriots" and claimed they were in Minneapolis because of "massive Monetary Fraud" and "Illegal Criminals that were allowed to infiltrate the State."
Michael Pretti/AP" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said at a press conference on Saturday afternoon that Pretti had not been in trouble with the police before.
"The only interaction that we are aware of with law enforcement has been for traffic tickets and we believe he is a lawfully gun owner with a permit to carry," O'Hara said.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) gave a detailed account of the shooting in astatementthat was contradicted by several videos shot by bystanders at the scene. The agency said it was carrying out a "targeted operation" when an individual approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, pictures of which it shared with the media. It said officers attempted to disarm the man, but he "violently resisted."
"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," the statement continued. It added: "[T]his looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."
Butseveralvideosshowing the lead-up to the fatal shooting show Pretti filming a group of Border Patrol officers with his phone in his right hand, with his left hand empty. The video shows an agent pepper-spraying Pretti in the face and, together with several other officers, dragging him to the ground. That is when the fatal shooting occurs.
Read more:Fatal ICE Shooting Sparks Scrutiny of Killings in Trump's Immigration Crackdown
The incident is the latest in a series of shootings in which the DHS claims the victim was threatening the life of an agent, only for video evidence to latercontradict the claim. After the shooting of Renee Good, the DHS accused her of "attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism," only for video evidence to show her turning her car away, and the agent positioned to the side of her vehicle when he fired the fatal shot.
Saturday's shooting prompted a wave of anger from local politicians, many of whom have been calling for the Trump Administration to bring an end to its immigration surge following weeks ofviolent encounterswith Minnesotans, including the use of pepper spray and the arrest of peaceful protesters.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz described the shooting as "sickening" and called on President Trump to end his immigration crackdown in the state.
"I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening," Walz said in aposton X.
"The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now."
Later, he urged people protesting the shooting to do so peacefully.
"We want peace, they want chaos," the governor said of the federal government. "We cannot and will not give them what they want."
Democratic Senator Amy Klobucharsaid: To the Trump administration and the Republicans in Congress who have stood silent: Get ICE out of our state NOW.
O'Hara, in his press conference, called for greater discipline from the estimated 3,000 federal immigration agents in the city.
"Our demand today is for those federal agencies that are operating in our city to do so with the same discipline, humanity and integrity that effective law enforcement in this country demands," he said.
The City of Minneapolis said in astatementon X that the shooting had taken place in the area of 26th Street W and Nicollet Ave.
A few hundred protesters gathered at the scene of the shooting in south Minneapolis by noon, where they scuffled with federal agents who had blocked off the intersection. Protesters screamed "I smell Nazis" at the federal agents and shouted at them to "go home."
The agents deployed tear gas and used pepper-spray as they fought running battles with protesters.
The shooting comes a day after thousands took to the streets across Minnesota on Friday, closing down businesses and calling out of work in a mass protest against the Trump Administration's immigration crackdown in the state.
The "Ice Out of Minnesota: Day of Truth and Freedom" demonstration, organized by community leaders, members of the clergy, and labor unions, called for a "no work, no school, no shopping" economic blackout.
Trump, in his Saturday afternoon post, accused Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Walz of "inciting Insurrection."
"Where are the local Police? Why weren't they allowed to protect ICE Officers? The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves — Not an easy thing to do!" he wrote.
This is a developing story.
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