On January 24, 2026, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis during a confrontation related to immigration enforcement. Pretti was the second person killed by federal agents in the city that month, following the death of Renée Nicole Good on January 7.
Shooting occurred during Operation Metro Surge
The shooting occurred on January 24, 2026 during Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration crackdown. Video footage shows agents confronting Pretti after he was seen filming them with his phone. He was pepper-sprayed and tackled by multiple agents.
While Pretti was pinned to the ground, an agent removed a handgun from his waistband. Approximately one second later, two federal officers, a Border Patrol agent and a Customs and Border Protection officer, fired at least 10 shots at him.
Pretti was a legal gun owner with a valid Minnesota carry permit and no criminal record.
DHS initially claimed Pretti “brandished” gun
The Department of Homeland Security and Trump administration officials initially alleged Pretti “brandished” a gun to “massacre” law enforcement. Previous clashes showed Pretti clashing with federal agents in Minneapolis 11 days before his death, during which he shouted at agents, spat on a vehicle, and kicked out a taillight before being tackled and briefly detained.
Frame-by-frame analyses by The New York Times, the BBC, and CNN show Pretti holding a cell phone, not a weapon, during the physical escalation. The gun was recovered from his waistband by an agent shortly before shots were fired by other officers.
DOJ opens civil rights investigation as protests erupt nationwide
On January 30, the US Department of Justice opened a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death, with the FBI now leading the probe. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the investigation, which will examine whether federal agents violated Pretti’s civil rights during the shooting.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the shooting and demanded the withdrawal of federal agents from the city. Governor Walz said America was at an “inflection point” after the fatal shooting. Massive protests occurred nationally in the days following Pretti’s death, with protesters gathering near the shooting site and at US courthouses. A makeshift memorial for Pretti has become a focal point in Minneapolis, where protesters gathered at 26th and Nicollette Avenue.
“A Tragedy”: Obama, Pretti’s Parents, and GOP Lawmakers Condemn Shooting
Former President Obama and Michelle Obama called Pretti’s death “a tragedy” and “a wake-up call for every American, regardless of political affiliation,” stating “What we are witnessing in Minnesota is quite the contrary” of lawful, accountable law enforcement. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) shared Pretti’s parents’ statement on X, calling Alex “a hero” whose “final thought and action were to shield a woman.”
We are heartbroken but also very angry.
Alex Pretti’s parents released a statement
Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the hero term lightly. However his last thought and act was to protect a woman.
The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed.
Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you.”
President Trump defended the agents, writing “Let our ICE patriots do their job” on Truth Social and accusing Minneapolis mayor and Minnesota governor of “inciting insurrection.”
The shooting sparked growing calls for investigation even among Republicans.
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) called it “deeply troubling” and said “credibility of ICE and DHS is at risk,” demanding a “comprehensive joint federal and state inquiry”. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) demanded inquiry, saying “ICE agents do not possess unrestricted authority in executing their responsibilities.”
Public opinion shows 55% believe excessive force was used
CNN reported that an Ipsos poll found that 55% of Americans believe Pretti’s killing involved “excessive force,” vs. only 16% who deemed it “necessary” (nearly 3-to-1 disapproval). Additionally, 62% of Americans believe ICE has gone “too far” (up from 58% in the week following Pretti’s death), with voters overwhelmingly seeing the shooting as “not justified.”
Protests erupted in Minneapolis, and four weeks after the shooting in late February 2026, hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Whittier Park in south Minneapolis, marching to Pretti’s memorial at 26th and Nicollette. Protesters demanded removal of ICE from the city and accountability for both Pretti and Renee Good deaths, chanting “No masks, armed patrols, no data collection on us.”
Trump administration partially retreats from Minneapolis immigration enforcement
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced “Every video will be scrutinized, and everything will be examined.” Trump remarked in an NBC News interview that he had come to understand the potential for a “softer touch” in handling immigration issues.
White House border chief Tom Homan announced the administration is “immediately” reducing federal officers by 700 (out of 3,000 deployed), as the administration partially retreated from its immigration enforcement strategy in Minneapolis after the shooting made the situation “unsustainable.”
The shooting has become a flashpoint in debates over immigration enforcement, law enforcement accountability and the right to film police, with significant political fallout even among Trump’s Republican base.
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