Federal Border Patrol Agent Kills Armed Minneapolis Man, Sparking Wider Outrage

Minneapolis was thrust once again into turmoil this past weekend after federal Border Patrol agents shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a local ICU nurse, during an immigration enforcement action on Saturday morning.

According to federal officials, agents opened fire after they say Pretti approached them with a firearm and resisted efforts to disarm him during the operation. However, eyewitness videos circulating online and reviewed by multiple outlets tell a different version of events, showing Pretti holding a phone— not a gun— while he moved toward a woman who had been pushed to the ground by agents. The footage appears to show agents wrestle Pretti to the ground before a series of at least ten shots were fired in just a few seconds.

Pretti was pronounced dead at the scene. His family has identified him as a well-liked Minneapolis resident who worked as an ICU nurse at the VA Medical Center and lawfully carried a handgun. Local police confirmed he had no notable criminal history.

This was the third military-style use of deadly force by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in about three weeks. Earlier in January, 37-year-old Renée Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer, and shortly afterward another man was wounded during a separate ICE operation.

Tensions Explode Into Protest

The shooting set off large demonstrations across the city. Hundreds of residents poured into the streets in freezing temperatures to demand accountability and call for federal agents to leave Minnesota. Protesters, local politicians, and public figures sharply criticized federal tactics, arguing the surge in immigration enforcement has escalated violence rather than making communities safer.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the federal response, saying local authorities cannot trust DHS to independently investigate the incident. Both demanded more transparency and accountability while state investigators were initially blocked from the shooting scene by federal officials.

National political figures have also weighed in, with voices on both sides of the aisle calling for closer scrutiny of the operation. The situation remains highly charged, with renewed calls in state legislatures and Congress for investigations into federal immigration enforcement.