Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin has described Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis ICU nurse shot dead by federal agents, as a “deranged individual” as MAGA supporters rally to defend the incident. Pretti was killed on Saturday, just 17 days after the fatal shooting of Renee Good in the same city.
The Department of Homeland Security claimed Pretti intended to “massacre” law enforcement officers. However, a Washington Post analysis of video footage shows agents pinning Pretti down, removing a firearm from a holster near his back, and then shooting him multiple times.
During a Fox News appearance, Mullin said: “A deranged individual who came in to cause massive damage with a loaded pistol was shot and killed. How much more does it have to go on before the Democrat leaders take responsibility for their words?” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem added that Pretti committed a felony by impeding a law enforcement operation.
Right-wing commentator Mark Levin questioned why Pretti brought a gun to a protest, yet had previously praised Kyle Rittenhouse, who brought a larger gun to a similar situation, as “absolutely outstanding.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told ABC that Pretti “brought a semiautomatic weapon to what was supposed to be a peaceful protest,” despite no evidence he brandished it.
Andrew Cherkasky, a former Air Force prosecutor, told Fox News he believed Pretti had a “death wish,” likening his death to suicide by cop. The incident has sparked debate over the use of force and the response from conservative figures.
