Video above, obtained by the Hearst National Investigative Unit and courtesy of Bring Me The News, shows federal agents shooting a man on a Minneapolis street. Warning: Video is graphic; viewer discretion is advised.Federal immigration officers shot and killed a man Saturday in Minneapolis, drawing hundreds of protesters onto the frigidly cold streets in a city already shaken by another fatal shooting weeks earlier.Here’s the latest: Federal immigration officers shot and killed a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis Saturday identified by family as Alex Pretti.DHS says officers fired “defensive shots” after a man with a handgun approached and resisted disarmament, but Pretti’s family and newly obtained video dispute those claims. The officer who fired is an eight-year Border Patrol veteran; officials say he had extensive training. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed suit to prevent destruction or alteration of evidence. A federal judge issued an order to preserve evidence.The shooting occurred amid heightened unrest after two other recent immigration enforcement shootings in the Twin Cities, including the Jan. 7 death of Renee Good.Videos from bystanders show the shooting from several different angles. Family have identified the man who was fatally shot as Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse. In the hours after the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti attacked officers, and U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said he wanted to “massacre law enforcement.”Neither of those claims is supported by the video evidence of the incident. A new video obtained by Hearst Television shows the moments leading up to the shooting.Videos show Pretti with only a phone in his hand as he steps between an immigration agent and a woman on the street. No footage appears to show him with a weapon. During the scuffle, agents appear to disarm him after discovering that he was carrying a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, and then opened fire several times. Pretti was licensed to carry a concealed weapon. What we know about Alex PrettiAlex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, was an avid outdoorsman who loved going on adventures with Joule, his beloved Catahoula Leopard dog, who also recently died.”He cared about people deeply, and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset,” said Michael Pretti, Alex’s father. “He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street. He cared about those people, and he knew it was wrong, so he did participate in protests.”Pretti was a U.S. citizen, born in Illinois. He attended high school in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2011. Like Good, court records showed he had no criminal record, and his family said he had never had any interactions with law enforcement beyond a handful of traffic tickets. Pretti’s family released a statement Saturday evening saying they are “heartbroken but also very angry,” and calling him a kindhearted soul who wanted to make a difference in the world through his work as a nurse.“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,” the family statement said. “Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.”Video above: Witness video of Minnesota shooting obtained by CNNWhat we know about the agents involvedBorder Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino said in a news conference that Department of Homeland Security law enforcement officers were in the area to conduct a “targeted operation,” seeking a man with a criminal history that includes domestic assault, disorderly conduct, and driving without a valid license.He added that the officer who shot Pretti “was highly trained and had been serving as a border patrol agent for eight years.” “The officer has extensive training as a range safety officer and less lethal officer,” he said. Protests continue in MinneapolisThe shooting sparked a legal fight over control of the investigation amid the immigration surge that has swept across Minneapolis and surrounding cities. An angry crowd gathered after the shooting and screamed profanities at federal officers, calling them “cowards” and telling them to go home. One officer responded mockingly as he walked away, telling them: “Boo hoo.” Agents elsewhere shoved a yelling protester into a car. Protesters dragged garbage dumpsters from alleyways to block streets, and people chanted “ICE out now” and “Observing ICE is not a crime.” Federal officers wielded batons and deployed flash bangs on the crowd.Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he had been in contact with the White House after the shooting. He urged President Donald Trump to end what the Department of Homeland Security has called its largest-ever immigration enforcement operation. As dark fell in Minneapolis, hundreds of people gathered quietly by a growing memorial at the site of the shooting. Some carried signs saying “Justice for Alex Pretti.” Others chanted Pretti’s and Good’s names. A doughnut shop and a clothing store nearby stayed open, offering protesters a warm place as well as water, coffee and snacks. Video below: Neighborhood vigil for Alex Pretti in Minneapolis Judge blocks Trump administration from destroying evidenceWalz, a Democrat, said he had no confidence in federal officials and that the state would lead the investigation into the latest fatal shooting.But Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said during a news conference that federal officers blocked his agency from the scene even after it obtained a signed judicial warrant. A federal judge issued an order blocking the Trump administration from “destroying or altering evidence” related to the shooting, after state and county officials sued.Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the suit filed Saturday is meant to preserve evidence collected by federal officials that state authorities have not yet been able to inspect. A court hearing is scheduled for Monday in federal court in St. Paul.“A full, impartial, and transparent investigation into his fatal shooting at the hands of DHS agents is non-negotiable,” Ellison said in a statement.Spokespersons for the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security, which are named in the lawsuit, didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Sunday. Shooting comes in the wake of two others in three weeksThe shooting happened amid widespread daily protests in the Twin Cities since the Jan. 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good, who was killed when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fired into her vehicle. Saturday’s shooting unfolded just over a mile away from where Good was shot.This is the third shooting reported in roughly three weeks in Minneapolis. About a week after Good’s death, an immigration officer shot a Venezuelan man in the leg during an operation that involved a vehicle chase and confrontation.
Video above, obtained by the Hearst National Investigative Unit and courtesy of Bring Me The News, shows federal agents shooting a man on a Minneapolis street. Warning: Video is graphic; viewer discretion is advised.
Federal immigration officers shot and killed a man Saturday in Minneapolis, drawing hundreds of protesters onto the frigidly cold streets in a city already shaken by another fatal shooting weeks earlier.
Advertisement
Here’s the latest:
- Federal immigration officers shot and killed a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis Saturday identified by family as Alex Pretti.
- DHS says officers fired “defensive shots” after a man with a handgun approached and resisted disarmament, but Pretti’s family and newly obtained video dispute those claims.
- The officer who fired is an eight-year Border Patrol veteran; officials say he had extensive training.
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed suit to prevent destruction or alteration of evidence. A federal judge issued an order to preserve evidence.
- The shooting occurred amid heightened unrest after two other recent immigration enforcement shootings in the Twin Cities, including the Jan. 7 death of Renee Good.
Videos from bystanders show the shooting from several different angles. Family have identified the man who was fatally shot as Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse.
In the hours after the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti attacked officers, and U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said he wanted to “massacre law enforcement.”
Neither of those claims is supported by the video evidence of the incident. A new video obtained by Hearst Television shows the moments leading up to the shooting.
Videos show Pretti with only a phone in his hand as he steps between an immigration agent and a woman on the street. No footage appears to show him with a weapon. During the scuffle, agents appear to disarm him after discovering that he was carrying a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, and then opened fire several times. Pretti was licensed to carry a concealed weapon.
What we know about Alex Pretti
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, was an avid outdoorsman who loved going on adventures with Joule, his beloved Catahoula Leopard dog, who also recently died.
“He cared about people deeply, and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset,” said Michael Pretti, Alex’s father. “He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street. He cared about those people, and he knew it was wrong, so he did participate in protests.”
Pretti was a U.S. citizen, born in Illinois. He attended high school in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2011. Like Good, court records showed he had no criminal record, and his family said he had never had any interactions with law enforcement beyond a handful of traffic tickets.
Pretti’s family released a statement Saturday evening saying they are “heartbroken but also very angry,” and calling him a kindhearted soul who wanted to make a difference in the world through his work as a nurse.
“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,” the family statement said. “Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.”
Video above: Witness video of Minnesota shooting obtained by CNN
What we know about the agents involved
Border Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino said in a news conference that Department of Homeland Security law enforcement officers were in the area to conduct a “targeted operation,” seeking a man with a criminal history that includes domestic assault, disorderly conduct, and driving without a valid license.
He added that the officer who shot Pretti “was highly trained and had been serving as a border patrol agent for eight years.”
“The officer has extensive training as a range safety officer and less lethal officer,” he said.
Protests continue in Minneapolis
The shooting sparked a legal fight over control of the investigation amid the immigration surge that has swept across Minneapolis and surrounding cities.
An angry crowd gathered after the shooting and screamed profanities at federal officers, calling them “cowards” and telling them to go home. One officer responded mockingly as he walked away, telling them: “Boo hoo.” Agents elsewhere shoved a yelling protester into a car. Protesters dragged garbage dumpsters from alleyways to block streets, and people chanted “ICE out now” and “Observing ICE is not a crime.”
Federal officers wielded batons and deployed flash bangs on the crowd.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he had been in contact with the White House after the shooting. He urged President Donald Trump to end what the Department of Homeland Security has called its largest-ever immigration enforcement operation.
As dark fell in Minneapolis, hundreds of people gathered quietly by a growing memorial at the site of the shooting. Some carried signs saying “Justice for Alex Pretti.” Others chanted Pretti’s and Good’s names. A doughnut shop and a clothing store nearby stayed open, offering protesters a warm place as well as water, coffee and snacks.
Video below: Neighborhood vigil for Alex Pretti in Minneapolis
Judge blocks Trump administration from destroying evidence
Walz, a Democrat, said he had no confidence in federal officials and that the state would lead the investigation into the latest fatal shooting.
But Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said during a news conference that federal officers blocked his agency from the scene even after it obtained a signed judicial warrant.
A federal judge issued an order blocking the Trump administration from “destroying or altering evidence” related to the shooting, after state and county officials sued.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the suit filed Saturday is meant to preserve evidence collected by federal officials that state authorities have not yet been able to inspect. A court hearing is scheduled for Monday in federal court in St. Paul.
“A full, impartial, and transparent investigation into his fatal shooting at the hands of DHS agents is non-negotiable,” Ellison said in a statement.
Spokespersons for the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security, which are named in the lawsuit, didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Sunday.
Shooting comes in the wake of two others in three weeks
The shooting happened amid widespread daily protests in the Twin Cities since the Jan. 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good, who was killed when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fired into her vehicle. Saturday’s shooting unfolded just over a mile away from where Good was shot.
This is the third shooting reported in roughly three weeks in Minneapolis. About a week after Good’s death, an immigration officer shot a Venezuelan man in the leg during an operation that involved a vehicle chase and confrontation.
