Third shooting by federal agents in as many weeks leaves man dead in Minneapolis
Updated 3:53 p.m.
State officials have confirmed that a man was killed after being shot by a federal agent in Minneapolis Saturday morning near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue. This is the second fatal shooting involving a federal agent in Minneapolis this month. An additional shooting injured an individual being pursued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, but the injuries were deemed non-lifethreatening.
Video of the incident shows a group of at least four agents restraining an individual and holding him on the ground. They appear to hit him with an object several times before an agent shoots the man. The other agents step back, and the individual on the ground remains motionless. Additional gunshots are heard, and one agent appears to continue to shoot in the direction of the man.
The man was transported from the scene, and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that he has died.
The Associated Press has identified the man as 37-year old Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti, based on information gathered from two anonymous sources. The AP reports that his parents said he was an intensive care unit nurse.
Further details on Pretti, and what took place before the video shows agents wrestle him to the ground have been limited.
Tricia McLaughlin, speaking on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security, has released a further statement in which she said the man was carrying a handgun, and that the federal agent fired “defensive shots” as the group of agents attempted to disarm him.
Commander at Large for U.S. Customs and Border Protection Gregory Bovino said in a statement that Pretti approached Border Patrol agents while they were carrying out a search for a different individual, and that Pretti “violently resisted” their attempts to disarm him. Videos taken by witnesses to Pretti’s shooting do not shown him pointing a gun at agents.
In response to the shooting, protesters have arrived at the site of the shooting. During a Saturday morning press conference, O’Hara asked that people leave the scene and allow law enforcement to investigate. He said that the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) was on the scene.
O’Hara added that based on the initial information that has been shared with his department, the individual, now identified as Pretti, was a lawful gun owner, and that his record with law enforcement in the past has included only traffic-related interactions.
Though BCA officers arrived on the scene shortly after the shooting, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said at a press conference in the afternoon that despite acquiring a judicial warrant to search the scene and collect evidence, his BCA investigators were being turned away by DHS agents.
Evans said that while state agencies will continue to investigate the shooting, it will be difficult to compile relevant evidence without federal cooperation. He said that it is unusual for DHS to be leading the investigation, instead of the FBI and state agencies. He said, “It’s been a longstanding understanding, both within our state and across the country, that entities like the BCA that conduct 80-plus-percent of officer-involved shooting investigations across the United States are asked to do these investigations of federal agents involved in officer-involved shootings.”
BCA was also excluded from the investigation into the killing of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on Jan. 7.
At the Saturday morning press conference, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called on President Donald Trump to withdraw federal troops, who, according to Frey, have been the cause of violence and chaos in the city. He noted the peaceful mass protest that took place in Minneapolis on Jan. 23 when he said that Minnesota residents are not the cause of what he described as “vitriol.”
“If the goal was to achieve peace and safety, this is doing exactly the opposite,” Frey said about the federal presence in the Twin Cities. He said that the removal of federal agents would restore safety to the area.
Minneapolis Emergency Management Director Rachel Sayre spoke about the heightened danger in the city at this time, and warned about the lasting impact of prolonged times of stress and danger.
Gov. Tim Walz said he has been in contact with the White House since the shooting. He wrote on X, “The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”
This is an ongoing story and WTIP will provide updates as they become available.
Kirsten Wisniewski January 24, 2026
