When Federal Agents Kill Citizens: The Minneapolis Question

37-year-old Alex Pretti was holding a cell phone, not a gun, when federal agents shot him dead during an immigration raid in Minneapolis. The discrepancy between what officials claim happened and what videos show has ignited a fierce debate about federal power and accountability.

The Department of Homeland Security says Pretti attacked agents with a handgun. Verified bystander footage tells a different story: a nurse trying to shield fellow protesters from pepper spray, tackled to the ground, and then shot four times in the back while pinned down.

What the Videos Actually Show

Reuters-verified footage captures the sequence of events with disturbing clarity. Pretti, filming with his phone, steps between federal agents and women protesters being shoved to the ground. When an agent pepper-sprays the group, Pretti raises his left arm defensively.

Multiple agents then force him to his hands and knees. Someone shouts about a gun, and the video shows an agent removing a weapon from Pretti and stepping away with it. Moments later, another agent points his handgun at Pretti's back and fires four shots in rapid succession.

Two witnesses who filed sworn statements with the U.S. District Court of Minnesota said Pretti never brandished a weapon. A doctor among the witnesses reported that Pretti sustained at least three gunshot wounds to his back.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara later confirmed that Pretti was a lawful gun owner with no criminal record beyond traffic violations.

The Man Behind the Badge

Pretti worked as an intensive care nurse at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis, caring for American veterans. His parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, described him as "a kind soul who cared deeply for his family and friends, and also the American veterans who he cared for as an ICU nurse."

His father told The Associated Press that Alex "was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States" with Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. "He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street. He cared about those people, and he knew it was wrong."

A University of Minnesota graduate with a biology degree, Pretti had worked as a research scientist before returning to school to become a registered nurse. The federal employees' union AFGE said he "dedicated his life to serving American veterans."

Minneapolis Under Siege

The Trump administration has deployed 3,000 agents in what officials call the largest federal immigration enforcement operation in history. The crackdown targets Democratic-led cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, with Minneapolis bearing the heaviest federal presence.

Pretti's death marks the second American citizen killed by federal agents in Minneapolis this month, following Renee Good's shooting earlier in January. According to The Associated Press, at least six people have died during ICE enforcement efforts since last year, with January alone seeing at least five shootings involving federal agents.

The raids have transformed daily life in immigrant neighborhoods. Children skip school or learn remotely, families avoid religious services, and businesses have temporarily closed. At least six people have also died in ICE detention centers since the start of 2026, following 30 deaths in custody last year—a two-decade high.

Competing Narratives

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem characterized Pretti as someone who "wasn't there to peacefully protest" but "to perpetuate violence." Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called him a "would-be assassin," while a Customs and Border Protection commander claimed Pretti wanted to "massacre law enforcement."

The family's response was swift and angry: "The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting." They emphasized that videos show their son "was not holding a gun when federal agents tackled him, but holding his phone with one hand and using the other to shield a woman who was being pepper-sprayed."

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned the killing as part of a "campaign of organized brutality," while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey urged the Trump administration to end its immigration crackdown. The American Nurses Association called for a "full, unencumbered investigation" into the case.

The Accountability Gap

What's particularly striking is the family's revelation that as of Saturday evening, no federal law enforcement agency had contacted them about their son's death. This silence speaks to a broader pattern of federal agencies operating with minimal oversight during immigration enforcement operations.

Dr. Dmitri Drekonja, Pretti's colleague, told ABC News it was "galling and enraging" to hear how federal officials portrayed the victim. The contrast between the official narrative and witness accounts raises fundamental questions about how federal agencies investigate their own use of deadly force.