The man shot and killed by United States federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday morning has been identified as 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a dedicated ICU nurse who worked at the local VA hospital and had no criminal history on record, according to local sleuths.
The incident, which unfolded amid heightened tensions over immigration enforcement operations in the city, has sparked immediate protests, conflicting accounts, and a heated debate about what exactly happened in those chaotic moments.
It was a bitterly cold morning in south Minneapolis, near the corner of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue, when Border Patrol agents were carrying out what officials described as a targeted arrest of someone in the country illegally.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Pretti approached the officers while armed with a 9mm handgun. Agents tried to disarm him, a struggle broke out, and one officer fired multiple shots, fearing for his life and those of his colleagues. Medics tried to save him at the scene, but Pretti was pronounced dead shortly after.
Video footage circulating online shows a group of agents wrestling with a man on the sidewalk before a rapid burst of gunfire – at least ten shots in quick succession. Some clips appear to show the man being pinned down, with no clear weapon visible in his hands at the moment the shots rang out.
Bystanders captured the aftermath too: federal agents in tactical gear, protesters rushing to the area blowing whistles, and soon enough, tear gas filling the air as clashes erupted.
Pretti’s family painted a very different picture of the man at the centre of this tragedy. Speaking to reporters, his parents described him as someone who “cared about people deeply.”
He was an avid outdoorsman, always out hiking or adventuring with his beloved dog Joule, a Catahoula Leopard who had passed away not long ago. Colleagues at the VA hospital remembered him as a compassionate nurse in the intensive care unit, the kind who went the extra mile for patients during tough shifts.
Friends said he had been upset by the recent wave of immigration raids sweeping through Minneapolis, even joining some of the protests that have gripped the city for weeks.
Authorities confirmed Pretti was a U.S. citizen and a legal gun owner with a valid carry permit – something that’s perfectly allowed in Minnesota. Early reports suggest his background check turned up nothing major, maybe just minor stuff like parking tickets over the years.
No history of violence, no red flags that would explain why this ended so fatally. That’s part of why so many people are pushing back hard against efforts to label him quickly as a threat.
Almost immediately after the shooting, some voices in Washington jumped in. A top White House advisor called Pretti a “domestic terrorist” who was trying to assassinate law enforcement, claims that came without any public evidence. The border agents’ union defended their members, saying heated rhetoric from politicians and media has encouraged attacks on officers.
But on the streets of Minneapolis, and across social media, a lot of folks aren’t buying that narrative. Protesters gathered by the hundreds Saturday afternoon, chanting for justice and demanding federal agents leave the city. Signs read “No More Killings” and “Hands Off Minneapolis”.
This isn’t the first time things have boiled over here recently. Just weeks ago, an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good, a local mother, during another operation. That sparked ongoing demonstrations, and now this third fatal incident involving federal officers in less than a month has everyone on edge.
Governor Tim Walz called it “another horrific shooting”, accusing the feds of creating chaos in his state. Mayor Jacob Frey went further, saying the video showed the “pummelling and killing” of one of his constituents.
Investigators from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are on the case now, piecing together bodycam footage, witness statements, and all those bystander videos. The agent who fired has been placed on leave, standard procedure. But with emotions running this high, answers can’t come soon enough.
For Pretti’s family, coworkers, and friends, the loss hits hard. A guy who spent his days saving lives in the ICU, gone in an instant on a snowy sidewalk. Neighbours in the Whittier area, where it all went down near a popular doughnut shop, say the community feels shaken. People are talking about it everywhere – coffee shops, group chats, protest lines.
Was Pretti trying to intervene in the arrest? Did he pull his gun, or was it just on him legally? Why did it escalate so fast? Until the full investigation wraps up, the debate will keep raging. One thing’s clear though: another life cut short, another city divided, and a whole lot of pain left behind in the cold Minneapolis air.
