US immigration agents killed an American citizen in Minneapolis on Saturday, officials said, sparking fierce protests and condemnation from local leaders in the second such incident this month.
Department of Homeland Security officials said the Border Patrol agent fired in self-defense after the man with the gun resisted their attempts to disarm him.
Local leaders questioned the statement, which Reuters could not verify, and which appeared to be contradicted by videos posted online, according to the news agency.
The slain man was identified in media reports and on social media as Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old medical technician who worked at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Hospital. In bystander videos verified by Reuters, Pretti stands on the street and films the agents with his cell phone.
The videos show one of the agents apparently using pepper spray against Pretti and other protesters. As Pretti tries to block the spray and help other protesters, several agents knock him to the ground and begin punching him in the head and body. As they hold Pretti on the ground, one of the agents pulls out a weapon and multiple shots are fired. Pretti’s body can be seen on the street, reports Hina.
The video shows an agent running with a gun, but it’s not clear if it’s the gun that took Pretti or his own.
You can clearly see the ICE agent disarm the victim before the shooting began pic.twitter.com/EFkVq5tu8M
— Liam Nissan™ (@theliamnissan) January 24, 2026
The shooting drew hundreds of protesters to the neighborhood to confront armed and masked agents, who fired tear gas.
State officials were already at odds with President Donald Trump’s administration after an immigration agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good on Jan. 7. Trump officials said the immigration agent acted in self-defense and refused to allow local officials to participate in the investigation of the incident.
BREAKING: STABILIZED FOOTAGE RELEASED
This is the clearest footage of the Minneapolis shooting released so far.
And it makes things extremely clear.
One ICE agent takes the gun.
Another shoots him in the back.
This looks like an IDF execution.https://t.co/2vcQZloxC2
— ADAM (@AdameMedia) January 25, 2026
The murdered man legally owned a weapon
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters that the slain man attacked agents during an immigration raid, though she did not say whether he had drawn a weapon.
“He was not there to protest peacefully. He was there to incite violence,” Noem said at a press conference. Among local leaders who have strongly questioned that version is Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
“I’ve seen the video from several angles and it’s disgusting,” Walz said.
“The federal government cannot be trusted to conduct this investigation – the state will handle it.”
The head of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Drew Evans, told reporters that federal agents on Saturday blocked his team’s attempts to begin an investigation.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the slain man legally owned a gun and had no criminal record other than traffic violations.
Calls to end the operation
Walz and other local and state officials called for an immediate halt to the Trump administration’s local immigration enforcement operations.
“How many more residents, how many more Americans need to die or be seriously injured for this operation to end?” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey asked at a news conference.
Trump accused local officials of encouraging opposition.
“The mayor and governor are fomenting rebellion with their pompous, dangerous and arrogant rhetoric,” the Republican president wrote on social media.
Vice President JD Vance, who visited the city on Thursday, accused local leaders of refusing to provide local police support to immigration agents. That sparked a fierce backlash from Walz, who said the crackdown on immigrants has strained local police resources.
The shooting came a day after more than 10,000 people took to the icy streets to protest the raids.
Before Saturday’s shooting, residents were already outraged by several incidents, including the killing of Good, the detention of an American citizen who was taken from his home wearing only shorts, and the detention of children, including a five-year-old boy.
(Vijesti.ba)
