On January 24, 2026, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit (ICU) nurse employed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was fatally shot by agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) during an immigration enforcement operation in the city. Pretti, who had no prior criminal record beyond minor traffic violations and held a valid permit to carry a concealed firearm, became the second U.S. citizen killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis that month—following the death of Renee Good earlier in January. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, protests, and demands for accountability, as emerging details, witness videos, and official reports paint a picture that starkly contrasts with the Trump administration’s initial narrative.
The event unfolded amid “Operation Metro Surge,” a large-scale federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota under the second Trump administration. Pretti was reportedly protesting or observing the operations when agents confronted him and others blocking a roadway. According to preliminary accounts from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and CBP, Pretti approached officers while armed with a 9mm handgun, resisted efforts to detain him, and posed an imminent threat—prompting defensive gunfire.
However, multiple bystander videos from various angles, forensic audio analyses, and independent reviews by outlets including The New York Times, ABC News, Reuters, and NPR tell a different story. Pretti was pepper-sprayed, tackled to the ground by several agents (around six surrounding him), and pinned face-down with his arms restrained near his head. Videos show no evidence of him brandishing or reaching for his weapon prior to being subdued; his legally carried firearm remained holstered or in his waistband until an agent removed it during the struggle. Despite this, two agents—a Border Patrol agent and a CBP officer—fired a total of at least 10 rounds in under five seconds, starting while Pretti was restrained and continuing after he appeared motionless or collapsed.
A preliminary CBP report sent to Congress, obtained by multiple news organizations, confirms that two agents discharged their weapons (a Glock 19 and a Glock 47) after one yelled “He’s got a gun!” multiple times during the scuffle—but it makes no mention of Pretti actively drawing, brandishing, or threatening anyone with the firearm. This omission directly contradicts early public statements from DHS officials, Secretary Kristi Noem, Border Patrol leader Gregory Bovino, and White House advisor Stephen Miller, who described Pretti as “brandishing” a weapon, arriving “to kill law enforcement,” intending to “massacre” officers, or acting as a “domestic terrorist” and “would-be assassin.”
Further complicating the narrative, some reports indicate Pretti had a prior encounter with federal agents about a week earlier (around January 13, 2026), where he was tackled during a protest, reportedly sustaining a broken rib. Video from that incident shows him confronting agents more aggressively, including damaging a vehicle, raising questions about whether he was recognized or if tensions had escalated. Post-shooting accounts also note that agents did not immediately render aid, with some witnesses describing them counting bullet holes on Pretti’s body while bystanders attempted to help.
Pretti’s family, former patients, and colleagues remember him as a dedicated caregiver who treated the sickest veterans, a “kind-hearted soul” passionate about justice, and an outdoors enthusiast with no history of violence beyond peaceful protest. His parents, speaking from Colorado, condemned the agents as “Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs,” emphasizing that their son loved his country but opposed what he saw as abusive enforcement tactics.
The fallout has been swift and broad. The two agents who fired were placed on administrative leave pending investigation, body-camera footage (confirmed to exist and be under review) is central to ongoing probes, and a Minnesota judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing DHS from altering or destroying evidence. Bipartisan calls for transparency have grown, alongside criticism of the aggressive, militarized approach to domestic immigration enforcement and the rapid vilification of Pretti before full facts emerged.
In many ways, the killing of Alex Pretti is viewed as even worse than the initial reports suggested—not just because of the apparent excessive force while he was restrained, but due to the discrepancies between video evidence and official claims, the potential prior targeting or recognition, the failure to provide immediate aid, and the broader implications for protest rights, use-of-force standards by federal agents on U.S. soil, and public trust in government. As investigations continue and more footage may be released, the case underscores deep national divisions over immigration policy, accountability, and the line between enforcement and overreach.
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