Federal agents shot and killed a 37-year-old US citizen in Minneapolis on Saturday, marking the second such killing in less than three weeks. The victim, identified as VA nurse Alex Pretti, was shot at about 9am in the Eat Street area, a corridor of largely immigrant-owned businesses. Witnesses recorded the incident as agents used chemical irritants and made arrests.
The killing follows the death of Renee Good, also 37, who was shot by a federal agent on 7 January. Tensions have been high in the city, with tens of thousands participating in an economic blackout and protest march on Friday calling for an end to the ICE occupation. Local leaders have repeatedly demanded that ICE leave the state, with 'ICE OUT' signs visible across neighbourhoods.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz expressed frustration at a press conference, 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 criticised the federal government for blaming the victim before completing an investigation, and called for local law enforcement involvement. Donald Trump issued a statement alleging fraud in the state.
At the scene, dozens of federal agents fired chemicals into the air and at protesters, arresting some. One woman shouted on a livestream, 'You just shot someone and now you’re terrorizing us. What more can we take?' The city remains under a heavy federal presence, with thousands of agents deployed. Some residents, including US citizens, have barely left home for weeks, fearing detention regardless of immigration status.
Community mutual aid efforts have expanded, with neighbours delivering food and supplies to those staying indoors. Parents patrol outside schools to ensure children’s safety, after reports of children as young as two and five being detained. Rachel Sayre, director of Minneapolis’s emergency management department, compared the situation to conflict zones in Yemen, Syria, and Ukraine, saying, 'A powerful entity [is] violently and intentionally terrorizing people.'
A network of observers monitors ICE activity around the clock, but agents have become increasingly hostile, pulling observers from cars and using chemical irritants. A GoFundMe campaign is raising funds for protective equipment like goggles, gas masks, and bulletproof vests. Governor Walz concluded, 'This will end when enough Americans say this will end. Do I have any confidence Donald Trump will do the right thing? No. I do have a lot of confidence that the majority of the American people will do the right thing.'
