Killing of Alex Pretti

Alex Pretti

On January 24, 2026, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old American nurse for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, was shot multiple times and killed by two United States Customs and Border Protection officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The shooting happened during massive protests against Operation Metro Surge, especially after the killing of Renée Good on January 7 by a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

Shooting

Pretti was filming ICE agents with his phone. At one point, he stood between an agent and a woman the agent had pushed to the ground, putting his arm around her. He was then pepper sprayed and tossed to the ground by federal agents, with around six cornering him when he was shot and killed. Videos reviewed by Reuters, the BBC, The Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press (AP) shows an agent taking away a gun from Pretti's holster and moving away from Pretti about one second before another agent shoots him. AP said that a voice can be heard saying "gun, gun" right before the first shot.

Reactions

The Trump administration said at first, without any evidence, that Pretti was a domestic terrorist and wanted to kill police officers, though these claims were not supported by video evidence and witness statements. The killing and the government's defense caused criticism, including from Republicans. Comments by Trump administration officials criticizing Pretti for owning a gun were not supported by gun rights groups, such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) and Gun Owners of America (GOA), which said he was protected under the Second Amendment.

References

  1. ↑ "Live update: State and federal officials exchange blame for events leading to Alex Pretti's shooting". NBC News. January 26, 2026. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Minneapolis shooting: What we know about death of Alex Pretti". BBC News. January 25, 2026. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  3. ↑ Nguyen, Alex; Lanard, Noah (January 24, 2026). "Video contradicts Trump administration account of Minneapolis killing". Mother Jones. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  4. ↑ Orenstein, Walker (January 24, 2026). "Videos show federal agents killing Minneapolis man". The Minnesota Star Tribune. Archived from the original on January 25, 2026. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  5. ↑ Slowed Down Version of the Execution of Alex Pretti. Drop Site News (Internet video). January 24, 2026. Retrieved January 24, 2026. [Slowed down version, includes analysis. Total running time, 2:56 min.]
  6. ↑ Evans, Tim; Sullivan, Andy (January 25, 2026). "Federal immigration agents kill another US citizen in Minneapolis, sparking protests". Reuters. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  7. ↑ Vinick, Gaby; Looft, Chis; Margolin, Josh; Charalambous, Peter; Alcini, Camilla (January 25, 2026). "A minute-by-minute timeline of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a federal agent". ABC News. Retrieved January 25, 2026. More than a minute after Pretti was shot, the officer who appeared to emerge with Pretti's weapon later returned to the scene and told other officers, 'I got the gun. I got the gun.'
  8. ↑ "Trump to send border tsar to Minnesota as calls grow for full inquiry into Alex Pretti shooting". BBC News. January 26, 2026.
  9. ↑ Mustian, Jim; Biesecker, Michael (January 24, 2026). "Videos of the deadly Minneapolis shooting of Alex Pretti contradict government statements". Associated Press. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  10. ↑ Barnett, Sofia (January 25, 2026). "Fact check: Video, witnesses contradict critical claims of federal officials in Pretti shooting". The Minnesota Star Tribune. Archived from the original on January 26, 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  11. ↑ Grimes, Christopher (January 27, 2026). "How a killing on 'Eat Street' forced Donald Trump to change course". Financial Times. Archived from the original on January 27, 2026. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  12. ↑ Kight, Stef W.; Santaliz, Kate (January 2026). "Trump puts Republicans in a tough spot on gun rights". Axios (website).

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