Video Footage and Witness Accounts Continue to Raise Unanswered Questions
Two Border Patrol agents involved in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis have been placed on administrative leave as investigations into his death continue.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the action, stating that placing the agents on leave is standard protocol following an officer-involved shooting. The 37-year-old Pretti was killed during a confrontation with federal agents amid ongoing protests in the city.
Video Raises New Questions
Video footage from the incident shows Pretti holding an iPhone while facing off with federal agents before being thrown to the ground and beaten by what appears to be six or seven individuals. A gunshot is heard during the struggle, followed by at least nine additional shots. Pretti then collapses and remains motionless.
It remains unclear from the footage which agent fired the first shot or which shots were fatal.
Related: Wemby Speaks Out on ICE Shootings
Medical Account Details Multiple Gunshot Wounds
A sworn declaration filed as part of a lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement includes testimony from a pediatric doctor who treated Pretti after the shooting. The doctor stated that Pretti suffered at least three bullet wounds to his back, along with several others to different parts of his body.
Federal officials have not publicly clarified how many shots were fired by each agent.
Second Protest Death in Three Weeks
Pretti’s death is the second fatal shooting of a protester in Minneapolis in less than three weeks. On January 7, Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent, triggering renewed protests and escalating tensions across the city.
The back-to-back deaths have intensified scrutiny of federal law enforcement activity and oversight in Minneapolis.
Federal Narrative Walked Back
In the days following the shooting, the Trump administration retreated from initial claims that Pretti was a “domestic terrorist” who intended to assassinate the agents involved. The White House also removed Border Patrol “commander at large” Gregory Bovino from Minneapolis and dispatched border czar Tom Homan to take over federal operations in the city.
A preliminary review by a DHS internal watchdog also made no mention of Pretti brandishing a weapon, despite early federal claims that he had done so.
Gun Rights Debate Enters the Case
Despite holding a legal permit, Pretti was criticized by some Republicans for carrying a firearm at the protest. That criticism drew a response from the National Rifle Association, which reaffirmed that law-abiding citizens have the right to carry firearms where legally permitted.
The NRA also pushed back against remarks made by Bill Essayli, a Justice Department official appointed under the Trump administration, who suggested that approaching law enforcement while armed could justify lethal force. The organization labeled that statement “dangerous and wrong.”
As investigations continue, calls for transparency and accountability remain central to protests unfolding in Minneapolis.
