Alex Pretti killing
- Wikipedia — Killing of Alex Pretti
- PBS NewsHour — A second U.S. citizen killed by federal forces in Minneapolis
- CNN — Fatal shooting of Minneapolis man (live coverage)
- NBC News — List of ICE and Border Patrol shootings
- PBS NewsHour — Shootings by federal immigration officers
- U.S. House Oversight (Democrats) — Minnesota oversight report (PDF)
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and intensive-care nurse at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital, was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent on the morning of Saturday, 24 January 2026, at Nicollet Avenue and 26th Street in the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis. Pretti was filming agents and helping direct traffic when he was pepper-sprayed, tackled by roughly six agents, disarmed of his legally carried handgun by an agent, and then shot approximately ten times. The Department of Homeland Security called it self-defense against an "armed struggle"; video analyses by numerous major news organizations, two sworn witnesses, and the county medical examiner's homicide ruling contradict that account. He was the second U.S. citizen killed by federal agents in Minneapolis in a single month.
The official account (DHS / Border Patrol)
DHS and CBP stated that Pretti "approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun" and "violently resisted" efforts to disarm him, and that an agent "fired defensive shots" during an "armed struggle." Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino said the agent who fired had eight years of experience. Senior administration officials went further: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem characterized Pretti's conduct as "domestic terrorism," and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller called him an "assassin." No bystander or bodycam footage was released by the government to support these characterizations at the time they were made.
What is actually documented
- The victim. Alex Pretti, 37, was a registered nurse (since 2021) in the ICU of a VA hospital and a member of the American Federation of Government Employees. Born in Park Ridge, Illinois and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, he graduated from the University of Minnesota (2011). He had no criminal record (only traffic citations) and held a valid Minnesota permit to carry.
- What he was doing. Agents were pursuing an Ecuadorian man who had entered a locked business. Pretti, across the street, was filming the agents with his phone and directing traffic. After an agent shoved a civilian, Pretti moved toward the scene to help.
- The shooting. Video shows Pretti pepper-sprayed — his phone in one hand, his other empty hand raised — then tackled and pinned by about six agents. An agent is seen removing Pretti's holstered firearm. Roughly one second later another agent fired about ten shots in five seconds, including several while Pretti lay motionless on the ground.
- Independent verification. Video analyses by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, CNN, Reuters, BBC and The Guardian concluded Pretti held only his cell phone before being tackled and showed no threatening movement. Two sworn witnesses testified he never brandished a weapon.
- The medical examiner. The Hennepin County autopsy found multiple gunshot wounds and classified the manner of death as homicide. Pretti was pronounced dead at 9:32 a.m.
- The agents. ProPublica identified the agents as Raymundo Gutierrez and Jesus Ochoa (1 February 2026); the on-scene commander was Gregory Bovino.
Scrutiny of the official account
This section explains why the government's "armed struggle / self-defense" narrative should not be accepted. It rests on sourced facts — video, sworn testimony, and the medical examiner's homicide finding.
- The video does not show what the government said it shows. The core claim — that Pretti "approached with a handgun" — is contradicted by footage cited by at least seven major outlets showing him holding a phone with his other hand empty and raised. The only person shown handling Pretti's gun is an agent, removing it from Pretti's holster while Pretti was already pinned.
- He was shot while restrained and while motionless. Several of the roughly ten shots were fired while Pretti lay still on the ground — difficult to reconcile with an ongoing "armed struggle."
- Medical aid was obstructed. Witnesses said officers prevented a physician from reaching Pretti and appeared to count his wounds rather than render aid; CPR was delayed.
- Officials branded the victim before any evidence was released. Labeling a filming bystander an "assassin" and a "domestic terrorist" — while withholding footage — inverts victim and shooter, the same pattern seen in other 2025–2026 immigration-enforcement killings.
- Investigators were blocked. DHS initially barred the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from the scene despite a judicial warrant; the case was first handled inside DHS (Homeland Security Investigations) before the FBI took over under public pressure, and the FBI then declined to share evidence with the BCA. Minnesota, Hennepin County and the BCA sued in March 2026 over withheld evidence.
- Context and pattern. The killing came during Operation Metro Surge (3,000+ arrests) and was the third federal immigration shooting in Minneapolis in three weeks, after ICE killed Renée Good (a U.S. citizen) on 7 January 2026 — a killing Pretti had protested — and before agents wounded Julio César Sosa-Celis.
Unanswered questions
- Will the government release the full bodycam footage from all agents present?
- Why was a filming, legally armed bystander tackled and disarmed rather than left alone?
- Why were several shots fired while Pretti was pinned and then motionless?
- Why was a physician prevented from providing aid, and how long was care delayed?
- Why were state investigators blocked from the scene despite a warrant, and why did the FBI withhold evidence from the BCA?
- Will Gutierrez, Ochoa, or any official face charges, given the homicide ruling?
Official and community response
- Family: Pretti's parents said they were "heartbroken but very angry," called the administration's claims "reprehensible and disgusting," and demanded the truth about their son.
- Gov. Tim Walz: called for the removal of federal agents "sowing chaos and violence" and urged people to "trust their own eyes" over federal statements.
- Mayor Jacob Frey: "How many more residents need to die before this administration realizes political narrative isn't as important as American values?"
- Minnesota BCA: reported that DHS "blocked" its agents from accessing the shooting site.
- Aftermath: national protests followed; a memorial GoFundMe passed $1.6 million within days. Bovino was later stripped of his "commander-at-large" role and reassigned.
Help document this incident
If you witnessed this shooting, were present during Operation Metro Surge, or have photos, video, or other information:
- Submit a tip / report: Submit an incident report
- Upload photos or video: Upload media to the ICE List (preserve original files and metadata where safe to do so)
- Identify an agent or vehicle: Submit agent information
See also
- 2026-07-07 Killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by ICE agents
- 2025-09-12 Killing of Silverio Villegas González by ICE agents
- Renée Good
- Category:Deaths by immigration enforcement