Federal agents shot and killed a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis on Saturday morning, the second such death in less than three weeks. The victim, identified as Alex Pretti, a nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital, was killed on Eat Street, a corridor of immigrant-owned businesses, at around 9am local time.
The killing occurred a day after tens of thousands took part in an economic blackout and protest march demanding an end to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) occupation and justice for Renee Good, shot dead by a federal agent on 7 January. Local leaders have repeatedly called for ICE to leave the state.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned the shooting, saying: 'You ask us for peace, and we give it, and we get shot in the face on the streets coming out of a donut shop.' He added that he had little confidence President Donald Trump would act to de-escalate the situation, but expressed belief that the American people would 'do the right thing'.
In the aftermath, federal agents fired chemical irritants into crowds and arrested several people. One woman was heard shouting on a livestream: 'You just shot someone and now you’re terrorizing us. What more can we take?' Community observers have reported increasing hostility from agents, including being pulled from cars and doused with chemicals.
Rachel Sayre, director of Minneapolis's emergency management department, compared the situation to conflict zones she had worked in overseas. 'What I’ve seen here is what I’ve seen there – a powerful entity violently and intentionally terrorizing people,' she said. Neighbours have organised mutual aid to help those too afraid to leave their homes, while parents patrol outside schools to ensure children's safety.
