A 37-year-old registered nurse, Alex Pretti, was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday. Pretti worked in the intensive care unit at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. The incident occurred amid protests and a heavy presence of federal, state, and local law enforcement.
Video footage circulating online shows Pretti being wrestled to the ground by several law enforcement officers before being shot multiple times. A second video obtained by Drop Site News indicates Pretti came to the defence of an observer shoved by a federal officer, who then sprayed him with a chemical agent and tackled him along with other agents. At least five agents surrounded Pretti on the ground, and one fired a shot at close range, followed by a volley of shots.
Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara stated that Pretti had no prior criminal record beyond traffic tickets and was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Pretti's death at the scene, with an agent firing “defensive shots”. Border patrol commander Greg Bovino said an officer with eight years of experience shot Pretti.
This is the second fatal shooting in Minneapolis this month amid a federal crackdown. Mayor Jacob Frey called on President Donald Trump to end the operation of federal immigration agents in the city, describing it as a “federal occupation”. Governor Tim Walz activated National Guard troops to help maintain order and described bystander footage of the shooting as “sickening”.
Trump accused Walz and Frey of “inciting insurrection” on his Truth Social platform, defending the federal presence as a safety measure. Local leaders argue the agents are instilling fear and behaving violently.
