Minnesota officials are pressing for full transparency and accountability following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti by a federal agent in south Minneapolis, an incident that has triggered protests, lawsuits, and intense scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics.
The shooting marked the second fatal incident involving a federal agent and a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis this month, further escalating public anger and sparking demonstrations in Minnesota and neighboring states. As legal challenges proceed and investigations continue, state and city leaders say restoring trust will require a full, transparent accounting of what happened.
Pretti, an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital and a licensed gun owner with no criminal record, was shot and killed Saturday morning during a confrontation involving U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. Authorities alleged that Pretti approached officers with a firearm, a claim sharply disputed by state officials and contradicted by witness video. Federal officials initially claimed the agent fired in self-defense after trying to disarm Pretti.
The confrontation unfolded amid heightened immigration enforcement activity across Minneapolis, which has already drawn criticism and public demonstrations. Border Patrol officials said agents were pursuing a man suspected of being in the country illegally and wanted for domestic assault when protesters attempted to interfere.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino asserted that Pretti posed a serious threat, with Noem labeling the incident “domestic terrorism.” However, state and city leaders quickly challenged that account, citing multiple videos that appear to show Pretti holding only a cellphone at the time he was shot. Local leaders accused federal officials of rushing to shape the narrative without evidence. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said his office will seek court intervention to halt the ongoing federal operation, while the City of Minneapolis is pursuing its own legal action.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, after reviewing footage from several angles, rejected the federal explanation, calling it “nonsense.” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the videos showed “more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents, shooting him to death.”
Videos verified by CBS News depict Pretti standing in the street, recording events with his phone in his right hand while his left hand appears empty. During a scuffle, an officer in a gray jacket is seen reaching into the struggle without a weapon and then stepping away holding a gun, turning his body just as the first shot is fired. Additional gunfire follows, though the footage does not conclusively show who fired first.
Eyewitness accounts submitted in sworn court statements further challenge the federal version of events. One witness said Pretti was merely recording the scene and attempting to help another protester when agents used pepper spray and forced him to the ground. “The agents pulled the man on the ground. I didn’t see him touch any of them — he wasn’t even turned toward them,” the witness wrote. “They threw him to the ground. Four or five agents had him on the ground and they just started shooting him.”
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) filed a lawsuit alleging that federal officials blocked state investigators from accessing the scene, despite a judge-signed search warrant. A U.S. District Court judge later issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Department of Homeland Security from altering or destroying evidence connected to the case. State officials say the incident raises serious concerns about federal overreach and interference with lawful investigations.
Pretti’s family described him as “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.” They condemned what they called “sickening lies told about our son by the administration.”
Editorial credit: Alejandro Diaz Manrique / Shutterstock.com