People gather around a makeshift memorial at the site where a man was fatally shot by federal agents trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 24, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
(Minneapolis, Minnesota) – A federal immigration officer shot and killed a 37-year-old man Saturday during a protest in Minneapolis, triggering hours of unrest, escalating political fallout, and the activation of the Minnesota National Guard in a city already shaken by a similar fatal shooting earlier this month.
Early afternoon: Shooting during immigration operation
The shooting occurred Saturday afternoon as federal immigration officers were conducting operations amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said a man was fatally shot during a confrontation with Border Patrol agents but declined to provide details on what led up to the encounter, citing limited information early in the investigation.
The Department of Homeland Security said officers fired “defensive shots” after a man armed with a handgun approached agents and “violently resisted” efforts to disarm him. O’Hara later said investigators believe the man was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.
Hospital records obtained by the Associated Press confirmed the man died from at least one gunshot wound.
Mid-afternoon: Identity revealed, video circulates
By mid-afternoon, the man was identified by his parents as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse who worked for the Veterans Administration. Pretti was a U.S. citizen born in Illinois and had no criminal record, according to court records.
Bystander videos obtained by the Associated Press began circulating online, showing a chaotic confrontation between Pretti and multiple federal agents on Nicollet Avenue. In the footage, Pretti appears to be holding a cellphone. No visible weapon can be seen.
The video shows officers shoving Pretti before at least seven agents surround him. One officer appears to strike him with a canister while others attempt to restrain his arms. A gunshot is then heard while officers are clustered around him, followed by additional shots. Officers back away as Pretti lies motionless on the street.
Protests swell amid earlier ICE killing
Pretti was killed just over a mile from where Renee Good, 37, was shot and killed on Jan. 7 after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fired into her vehicle. That shooting sparked daily protests across the Twin Cities, tensions that reignited Saturday as word of Pretti’s death spread.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the shooting site despite frigid temperatures. Federal agents deployed tear gas and flash bangs as protesters blocked intersections with dumpsters and shouted “murderers” and “go home now.” A makeshift memorial formed nearby with flowers, candles, and a wooden cross.
Local businesses opened their doors to provide warmth, food, medical care, and restrooms for protesters.
Early reactions: Calls to abolish ICE
As protests spread, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted on X Saturday afternoon:
“As tens of thousands across America protest the violence that ICE sows with impunity, federal agents shot and killed another person in Minneapolis today.
ICE terrorizes our cities. ICE puts us all in danger. Abolish ICE.”
Governor activates National Guard, contacts White House
As crowds continued to grow, Gov. Tim Walz authorized the deployment of the Minnesota National Guard to assist local law enforcement. Guard members were sent to the shooting site and to the Whipple Federal Building, where federal officials have faced protests daily.
Walz said he spoke with the White House shortly after the shooting, writing on X:
“I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening.
The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now. I told the White House the state must lead the investigation.
Let state investigators secure justice. As we process the scene, stay peaceful and give them space.
The State has the personnel to keep people safe – federal agents must not obstruct our ability to do so.”
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office said the Guard was requested to help protect federal property and allow deputies to be reassigned elsewhere. Officials emphasized Guard members were supporting law enforcement, not conducting crowd control.
Vice President JD Vance blames local leadership
Vice President JD Vance responded on X, saying federal agents had sought cooperation from state and local officials:
“When I visited Minnesota, what the ICE agents wanted more than anything was to work with local law enforcement so that situations on the ground didn’t get out of hand.
The local leadership in Minnesota has so far refused to answer those requests.”
Trump escalates rhetoric
President Donald Trump weighed in with a lengthy post on social media, sharing images of a firearm federal officials said was recovered at the scene and accusing Minnesota officials of obstructing federal agents.
Trump claimed state and city leaders were “inciting insurrection,” alleged widespread fraud in Minnesota, and defended ICE operations, writing in part:
“LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB! 12,000 Illegal Alien Criminals, many of them violent, have been arrested and taken out of Minnesota. If they were still there, you would see something far worse than you are witnessing today!”
White House adviser labels killing an attempted assassination
Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, also posted on X, calling the shooting an attempted attack on federal agents and accusing Democrats of fueling unrest:
“A domestic terrorist tried to assassinate federal law enforcement and this is your response?
…A would-be assassin tried to murder federal law enforcement and the official Democrat account sides with the terrorists.”
