The Killing of Alex Pretti (January 24, 2026)

I. Introduction

On the morning of January 24, 2026, a violent confrontation unfolded on a busy Minneapolis street that would reverberate across the United States. In broad daylight, 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a respected intensive care unit (ICU) nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System and a lifelong Minnesota resident, was shot and killed by United States Border Patrol agents during a controversial federal operation. The incident quickly became one of the most widely covered and polarizing events of the early Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign.

II. Who Was Alex Pretti?

Alex Pretti was not a typical protester or fringe activist. He was a registered nurse dedicated to caring for veterans, colleagues said, with years of experience in critical care medicine. Pretti earned his nursing license from the state of Minnesota in 2021 and carried it through to 2026. Before his work as an ICU nurse, he also contributed to scientific research while affiliated with the University of Minnesota Medical School. His longtime friends and coworkers remembered him as empathetic, thoughtful, and human-centered in his approach to life.

Pretti was also a lawful gun owner with a concealed-carry permit—common in Minnesota. Official records showed no serious criminal history beyond minor traffic citations. He was known to enjoy outdoor pursuits with his Catahoula Leopard dog and was widely appreciated by coworkers for his professionalism and easy smile.

III. The Context: Operation Metro Surge and Escalating Tensions

Pretti’s death occurred amid Operation Metro Surge, an aggressive immigration enforcement campaign led by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol units. According to official accounts, the operation aimed to arrest individuals suspected of immigration offenses or violent crime. However, multiple investigations revealed that some named targets had no verifiable criminal history in Minnesota court records, contradicting claims from DHS leadership.

The operation had already drawn intense scrutiny because it followed several other incidents in Minneapolis involving federal agents. Earlier in January, a federal immigration officer fatally shot Renée Nicole Good, and days later, another person, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, was shot in the leg by immigration agents but survived. These events had galvanized local protests and created a charged atmosphere on the streets of the city.

Pro-immigrant groups called the federal enforcement presence a militarized invasion of a city that did not want or invite it, while federal officials argued that the surge was necessary to remove dangerous individuals. Minneapolis city leadership, including the police chief, repeatedly found themselves at odds with federal authorities and called for restraint and cooperation with local law enforcement.

IV. The Incident: What Happened on Nicollet Avenue

A. Early Morning on January 24

At approximately 9:05 a.m. CST on January 24, a large contingent of Border Patrol agents was engaged in a targeted operation near the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue—a busy part of south Minneapolis lined with businesses and restaurants. Eyewitnesses reported a tense standoff between agents and everyday citizens who were filming, observing, and, in some cases, protesting the federal presence.

According to multiple video recordings taken by bystanders, the situation escalated when at least one ICE agent attempted to enter a local establishment, was refused entry, and then began to act aggressively toward those outside. Witnesses filmed agents knocking over chairs, pushing people, and employing pepper spray against bystanders.

B. Pretti Steps Forward

In the midst of this chaos, Pretti—who had been among the observers—began filming the agents with his phone. Video reviewed by independent outlets showed him holding a cell phone in his right hand, with no sign of threatening behavior. Other footage captured Pretti stepping toward a woman who had just been shoved by an agent, placing a hand on her arm as if to pull her away from harm. At that moment, a Border Patrol agent is seen pepper-spraying Pretti repeatedly.

C. Physical Confrontation

After being sprayed, Pretti was tackled to the pavement by multiple federal agents—estimates range up to six or more. The struggle quickly became violent and chaotic. Agents pinned Pretti face down; one agent appears to take a handgun from his holster as he lay on the ground, according to video evidence reviewed by independent media organizations. Observers maintain that Pretti never raised or brandished this weapon in an aggressive manner.

About eight seconds after he was pinned, at least one agent shouted that Pretti had a gun. Whether that was before or after the drawing of the weapon remains a point of contention in different footage. Moments after this, agents fired at Pretti at very close range. Evidence suggests that multiple shots—at least ten—were fired in a matter of seconds. Pretti’s body went still on the pavement.

V. Official Narratives vs. Eyewitness Accounts

A. DHS and Border Patrol Claims

Immediately after the shooting, the Department of Homeland Security released a statement saying that agents had been conducting enforcement operations and that Pretti “approached” them with a handgun. They claimed that agents attempted to disarm him and that one fired “defensive shots” when he resisted. DHS officials also said that Pretti carried two magazines and lacked identification, despite having a legal permit to carry a firearm.

Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino stated in press briefings that an officer with eight years on the force shot and killed Pretti and portrayed the incident as a necessary response to what he described as a dangerous, escalating situation. Federal officials characterized the crowd of about 200 onlookers as “rioters” attempting to obstruct law enforcement.

In the hours following the shooting, senior Trump administration aides, including a top White House advisor, went so far as to label Pretti a “domestic terrorist” who tried to assassinate federal law enforcement. These labels were widely circulated by right-wing media outlets before independent investigations could be completed.

B. Eyewitness and Independent Evidence

Contrary to the DHS narrative, multiple videos captured by bystanders do not show Pretti brandishing a firearm at any point before the pepper spray or physical takedown. Independent news organizations analyzed footage showing Pretti holding only his phone in the moments leading up to the confrontation.

Eyewitnesses—including a pediatrician who lived nearby and others who filmed the event—described Pretti as attempting to help a woman up from the ground after she was pushed and teargassed. They saw no aggressive movement from him before agents tackled him. Some accounts said that once on the ground, Pretti was pinned by several agents, disarmed, and then shot while still subdued.

VI. The Aftermath: Protest, Outrage, and Political Fallout

A. Immediate Local Response

Within minutes of the shooting, local residents began gathering at the site of the incident. What started as a crowd of dozens quickly swelled into hundreds of protestors calling out the federal agents. Demonstrators chanted, marched, and erected makeshift memorials at the scene—flowers, candles, and signs marking where Pretti was killed. Some sympathizers shouted at agents, accusing them of murder.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara publicly acknowledged that Pretti was a lawful gun owner with no significant criminal history beyond minor traffic offenses. O’Hara also confirmed that state and local law enforcement had been shut out of the scene by federal authorities, even when state investigators had legal warrants to access the area.

B. National Protests and Political Reaction

News of Pretti’s killing quickly spread beyond Minneapolis. Protests and vigils were organized in major cities across the U.S., including New York City, San Francisco, Portland, and Chicago, where activists expressed anger not only at this specific killing but at broader patterns of federal law enforcement violence.

On Capitol Hill, Democratic leaders condemned the actions of federal agents. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to block any spending package that included funds for the Department of Homeland Security, insinuating that continued support for the agency would be unacceptable after repeated fatal incidents. Other Democratic politicians called for full investigations and accountability at the highest levels.

In contrast, Republican officials largely backed DHS’s account. Some praised the agents for their actions and reiterated the need for strong enforcement in the name of public safety and national security—a stance that further inflamed an already polarized national conversation.

C. Civil Rights Groups and Investigations

Civil rights organizations released forceful statements condemning the killing as part of a pattern of abusive federal enforcement tactics, particularly in immigrant communities. These groups argued that the evidence showed agents used excessive force and that the operation itself endangered families and nonviolent civilians.

Calls grew for transparent, independent investigations—both criminal and civil—into the actions of Border Patrol agents that day. Lawyers and advocates cited video evidence suggesting a violation of departmental protocols and constitutional rights. At the same time, Minnesota’s county attorney stated her intent to work with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to secure evidence and pursue accountability.

VII. Legacy and Broader Implications

The killing of Alex Pretti quickly became symbolic of the profound tensions between federal immigration policy and local community safety. His death raised difficult questions about:

The use of lethal force in domestic policing
The transparency and accountability of federal law enforcement
The rights of law-abiding citizens within enforcement zones
The role of federal agents in local communities opposed to aggressive operations

For many, Pretti’s death became not just a story of a life cut short but a catalyst for national debate about civil liberties, public safety, and how government power should be exercised in democratic society. It forced communities and policymakers to grapple with competing values: the desire for security versus the need for restraint and respect for human life.

VIII. Personal and Human Remembering

In the midst of political rhetoric and legal maneuvering, friends, family, and coworkers emphasized the personal loss behind the headlines. Pretti was remembered as a compassionate caregiver who spent his life tending to others in their most vulnerable moments—veterans facing critical illness and families grappling with loss.

Tributes highlighted not just his professional dedication but his warmth, humility, and humanity. Online tributes and testimonials poured in, remembering a man who was more than a statistic: a brother, a son, a colleague, and a community member whose death resonated deeply across Minneapolis and beyond.

His parents, heartbroken and furious, issued statements rejecting official narratives that portrayed their son as a threat. They insisted the videos showed him acting to protect others, not endanger federal agents, and urged the public to seek the truth.

IX. Conclusion

The Killing of Alex Pretti on January 24, 2026, stands as a stark flashpoint in American public life—a moment when federal authority, community protest, and individual human worth collided with fatal consequence. What started as a routine enforcement operation escalated into a scene of lethal violence that prompted national and international scrutiny.

To some, Pretti’s death underscores the dangers of aggressive federal tactics in civil spaces; to others, it reinforces the need for clarity in policy and accountability in enforcement. Regardless of perspective, the killing ignited urgent questions about how law enforcement should operate—questions about power, human life, and the responsibilities of a democratic society.

For many, remembering Alex Pretti means remembering the human being at the center of the controversy: a caregiver, a protector, a neighbor, and a life taken under circumstances that remain deeply contested and painfully unresolved.