MEDICAL EXAMINER RULES ALEX PRETTI DEATH A HOMICIDE -1 - dead after Minneapolis shooting involving immigration agents, US Jan 24, 2026

[JennieM]

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents, the US deputy attorney general has said.

Todd Blanche said he did not want to "overstate" the move, calling it "a standard investigation by the FBI when there are circumstances like what we saw".

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the FBI would lead the investigation into Pretti's shooting in Minneapolis, with support from the DOJ's Civil Rights Division. His death came just weeks after Renee Good was shot dead by federal officers in the same city.

"We're looking at everything that would shed light on that day," Blanche told a news conference.
He added the investigation would "to the extent it needs to" involve lawyers at the civil rights division.

The investigation was previously being led by the Homeland Security Investigations branch of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the BBC's US partner CBS News reported.

Civil rights investigation opened into Alex Pretti shooting

The deputy attorney general said it was a “standard investigation” after Pretti's fatal shooting in Minneapolis.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

Anti-ICE protests being held across US as organizers urge national strike​

Activists call for Friday ‘blackout’ in protest against administration’s violent immigration crackdown

Activists have called for a nationwide shutdown on Friday, advocating “no work, no school, no shopping” in a protest against the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration crackdowns.

Organizers say Friday’s “blackout” – or general strike, as some are calling it – is part of a growing nonviolent movement to combat ICE’s aggressive enforcement tactics, which have come under renewed scrutiny following a series of fatal shootings involving federal agents.

Anti-ICE protests being held across US as organizers urge national strike

Activists call for Friday ‘blackout’ in protest against administration’s violent immigration crackdown

www.theguardian.com

1 hr 47 min ago

National shutdown marked by closed businesses, school absences, protests​

From CNN's Shawn Nottingham

A planned national shutdown to protest federal actions in Minneapolis has resulted in closed businesses and kids walking out of classes across the country, with groups calling for “no work, no school, no shopping.”

Businesses from North Carolina to New England to Washington state closed their doors. A restaurant in Portland, Maine, posted to its Facebook account they were closing in “solidarity with countless other restaurants in this city and across the country.”

Other businesses posted to social media accounts they would be open but would donate their profits to groups supporting immigrants in Minnesota.

Video showed students walking out of schools in both Arizona and Georgia. School districts in Colorado preemptively canceled classes for Friday in anticipation of protests. Aurora, Colorado, schools said they were canceling classes “due to a higher than anticipated number of staff absences.”

Gatherings of protestors were planned in a number of cities, including New York, Atlanta and Chicago, with the first of the day kicking off at the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis Friday morning.

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/minnesota-ice-minneapolis-protests-01-30-26

 

[JennieM]

39 min ago

Massive crowd of anti-ICE protesters marches in downtown Minneapolis​

From CNN's Emma Tucker

A massive crowd of protesters was seen marching in downtown Minneapolis, chanting and holding up signs reading “ICE Out,” as they called for an end to the federal crackdown on immigration in the state and other blue cities across the nation.

Protesters marched outside the Hennepin County Government Center and they will continue to do so around several county buildings in the city, according to CNN affiliate WCCO.

One protester said they were joining the demonstration because the federal immigration operation is “unacceptable” and a “threat to our humanity,” according to an interview with WCCO.

“I could care less about people’s opinions of this side, that side, this color, that color, this political view, that political view,” the protester told WCCO. “We’re all human beings. We’re all citizens in this country and we need to fight for our humanity.”

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/minnesota-ice-minneapolis-protests-01-30-26

 

[JennieM]

46 min ago

Bruce Springsteen performs John Lennon's "Power to the People"​

From CNN's Zoe Sottile

Bruce Springsteen, accompanied by former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, performed a lively rendition of John Lennon’s “Power to the People” at a benefit concert in Minneapolis this afternoon.

The protest anthem was released in 1971.

Morello then encouraged attendees to join the nationwide anti-ICE protests.

“As soon as this concert is over, we’re going to spill out into the streets of Minneapolis and join today’s massive protest for freedom and for justice,” he said. “This is a celebration of resistance. And right now we’re gonna create a little bit of the world we’d like to one day see.”


1 hr 3 min ago

Crowd chants "ICE out now" during Bruce Springsteen set​

From CNN's Zoe Sottile

Rock legend Bruce Springsteen encouraged the energetic crowd as they chanted “ICE out now” during his surprise set at a Minneapolis benefit concert.

The chant came before Springsteen performed “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” the title track off his 11th album.

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/minnesota-ice-minneapolis-protests-01-30-26

 

[zleuther]

They were attempting to arrest him. imo

Sorry, but no DHS has said that. In my opinion, what the DHS did say was designed to make those who would never see any of the videos, come to incorrectly believe they were attempting to arrest him.

[Much later they sent a report to Congress that ambiguated about "taking into custody" without mentioning a putative arrest charge, and we ALL of course know that when DHS detains it often does not arrest]

ETA source

Fact-checking Trump administration claims about fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minnesota

Video footage of the fatal shooting of Minnesota resident Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers contradicts Trump administration officials’ statements about the event.

www.wral.com

 

[Inthedetails]

“I could care less about people’s opinions of this side, that side, this color, that color, this political view, that political view,” the protester told WCCO. “We’re all human beings. We’re all citizens in this country and we need to fight for our humanity.”

snipped

^^THIS^^

 

[tlcya]

39 min ago

Massive crowd of anti-ICE protesters marches in downtown Minneapolis​

From CNN's Emma Tucker

A massive crowd of protesters was seen marching in downtown Minneapolis, chanting and holding up signs reading “ICE Out,” as they called for an end to the federal crackdown on immigration in the state and other blue cities across the nation.

Protesters marched outside the Hennepin County Government Center and they will continue to do so around several county buildings in the city, according to CNN affiliate WCCO.

One protester said they were joining the demonstration because the federal immigration operation is “unacceptable” and a “threat to our humanity,” according to an interview with WCCO.

“I could care less about people’s opinions of this side, that side, this color, that color, this political view, that political view,” the protester told WCCO. “We’re all human beings. We’re all citizens in this country and we need to fight for our humanity.”

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/minnesota-ice-minneapolis-protests-01-30-26

Praying everyone stays safe during these tumultuous times. Marchers, LEOs of ALL kinds, everyone. We've seen enough brutality the past few weeks. JMO

 

[Charlot123]

39 min ago

Massive crowd of anti-ICE protesters marches in downtown Minneapolis​

From CNN's Emma Tucker

A massive crowd of protesters was seen marching in downtown Minneapolis, chanting and holding up signs reading “ICE Out,” as they called for an end to the federal crackdown on immigration in the state and other blue cities across the nation.

Protesters marched outside the Hennepin County Government Center and they will continue to do so around several county buildings in the city, according to CNN affiliate WCCO.

One protester said they were joining the demonstration because the federal immigration operation is “unacceptable” and a “threat to our humanity,” according to an interview with WCCO.

“I could care less about people’s opinions of this side, that side, this color, that color, this political view, that political view,” the protester told WCCO. “We’re all human beings. We’re all citizens in this country and we need to fight for our humanity.”

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/minnesota-ice-minneapolis-protests-01-30-26

Sadly, they are so much stronger than the citizens of my suburbs. And their police is to be respected, too.

 

[Ruminations]

<snipped>

I snipped up this post, but the gist was a hypothesis that Alex was suicidal.

1) That is absurd. He was out because he thought his country could be saved for the future. He was life-affirming.

2) So what if he were suicidal? If a suicidal person begs me to run them over with my car to put them out of their misery, and I do, I go to jail. There is no such thing as suicide by proxy. There is suicide and there is homicide. This was homicide.

I find any suggestion that the victim caused his death offensive.

MOO

 

[Ruminations]

He was legally carrying a holstered gun. What are you talking about?



Victim blaming at it's finest. The psychological condition of the two agents who decided to fire ten bullets in the back of a disarmed man, pinned to the ground, should be of more interest that the mental condition of Alex Pretti.

MOO

Exactly.

While there is no evidence at all that anybody on the scene wanted to die, there is some evidence that agents seem to enjoy fighting with the public. Policing protesters is not their job.

MOO

 

[Ruminations]

(added by mod) In my opinion, what he was doing, was purposefully bringing a gun to a dangerous fed op repeatedly, and provoking and inviting harm onto himself, because he felt a sense of martyrdom. he rehearsed violating laws and putting the public in danger, until he finally got what he wanted.

Alex Pretti did not put the public in danger. He carried a gun legally and safely and never showed it.

When the public was in danger by federal agents, he attempted to help.

Until federal agents killed him.

Federal agents were putting the public in danger. Lethal danger. We see it on video.

MOO

 

[paulegigs]

I snipped up this post, but the gist was a hypothesis that Alex was suicidal.

1) That is absurd. He was out because he thought his country could be saved for the future. He was life-affirming.

2) So what if he were suicidal? If a suicidal person begs me to run them over with my car to put them out of their misery, and I do, I go to jail. There is no such thing as suicide by proxy. There is suicide and there is homicide. This was homicide.

I find any suggestion that the victim caused his death offensive.

MOO

if his actions weren't suicidal, (mod edit no name calling) IMO. so which do you want to believe? saving this country requires both the red and the blue to wake up and see that the fighting is artificial, manufactured by the rich elite to keep the status quo, maintaining their wealth at any costs- even if civil war MOO. Apparently I am open minded enough to allow the investigation to suggest suicide or homicide, without being personally offended. I love this site, and everyone's honest opinions.

 

[SouthAussie]

Exactly.

While there is no evidence at all that anybody on the scene wanted to die, there is some evidence that agents seem to enjoy fighting with the public. Policing protesters is not their job.

MOO

Even Stephen Miller said that their job is to form a barrier between protesters and their targeted operation. Which is why they sent so many ICE officers to Minneapolis. To form those barriers.


Stephen Miller said the White House had “provided clear guidance to DHS that the extra personnel that had been sent to Minnesota for force protection should be used for conducting fugitive operations to create a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors.”

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/27/politics/stephen-miller-alex-pretti-trump

 

[SouthAussie]

if his actions weren't suicidal, (mod edit no name calling) IMO. so which do you want to believe? saving this country requires both the red and the blue to wake up and see that the fighting is artificial, manufactured by the rich elite to keep the status quo, maintaining their wealth at any costs- even if civil war MOO. Apparently I am open minded enough to allow the investigation to suggest suicide or homicide, without being personally offended. I love this site, and everyone's honest opinions.

Many people consider Alex a hero, a helper, and a patriot.

He was killed - 10 completely unnecessary shots - after helping two ladies who were being physically pushed around by ICE.

imo

A helper and a patriot: Alex Pretti’s family and friends on the life of nurse killed by federal agents

People who knew Pretti describe him as ‘generous with his time’ and denounce the Trump administration’s assessment of him

www.theguardian.com

 

[sunspun]

IMO No one assigns random civilians authority to “assess abuse of power” in real time. Being a protester or a so-called “legal observer” does not grant the right to obstruct agents, interfere with an operation, or force proximity. The way Mr. Pretti acted raging, spitting, and kicking a federal vehicle shows a level of volatility that, in my opinion, raises serious concerns about judgment and self-control. I wouldn’t trust that behavior around my goldfish. And yes, I suspect more context will emerge in the coming days and weeks about what was happening around him at the time, including communications and coordination. Whatever the final facts show, something was clearly not right here. IMO

But you have to admit (I hope) that in the more recent videos of AP at the protest where he was shot, he was doing none of those actions that you saw him doing in the video of the previous protest.

He can be seen in the second protest videos to be behaving with more restraint, limiting himself to expressing his anger verbally, nothing like in the first incident.

So I think we could all give him credit for having learned a lesson from what happened to him at the first protest (broken rib), which looks to have influenced his actions in the second one.

 

[JennieM]

12 min ago

“ICE Out” echoes through chants in major cities nationwide as protests get underway​

From CNN's Emma Tucker

Protesters were seen rallying and marching in major cities nationwide, calling for an end to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, as a planned shutdown in Minneapolis resulted in closed businesses and students walking out of classes as part of a strike.

Friday’s protests kicked off at the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, with demonstrators – who braved frigid winter temperatures – chanting, “ICE out!” Later in the day, community members gathered at Lake Bde Maka Ska and formed a human “SOS” in protest of ICE actions in the city, according to CNN affiliate KARE.

In New York City’s Foley Square, which has been a frequent site of demonstrations, protesters gathered and held up a variety of signs, some reading, “Protesting ICE is not a crime,” and “Justice for all victims of ICE terror.” The massive crowd then started marching through Manhattan’s streets.

The rallying cry stretched across the nation Friday in different cities, but protesters’ chants and the signs they held echoed the same sentiments, echoing calls to “shut it down,” referring to the federal immigration actions.

[…]

Other major protests occurred in [Atlanta, San Antonio, Los Angeles, New Mexico], Columbia, South Carolina; Philadelphia; Chicago; Milwaukee; Phoenix; Denver; and Austin, Texas.

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/minnesota-ice-minneapolis-protests-01-30-26?t=1769815583183

 

[sunspun]

My opinion... the totality of the situation will be considered. Who can predict their behavior in an escalated situation? I know war vets, combat vets, LE both active and retired. Who can say how a person will respond if they feel their life is on the line? Whether "I" think it was or not, in my opinion, legally speaking, doesn't matter, nor does what "I" see in a video. In my opinion investigators and legal experts in this case will surely look at the totality of circumstances and also will seek to determine the answer to the question...what was the agents perception at the time?

You are really saying that it is possible that after we learn all the facts, that the agents who shot him did the right thing?

 

[Inthedetails]

Today in Minneapolis:

 

[Ruminations]

if his actions weren't suicidal, (mod edit no name calling) IMO. so which do you want to believe? <snipped>

Please refer to any of the videos, and give one instance of any behavior that can possibly be construed as either self-destructive or low intelligence.

Or are you just inferring he was self-destructive or low intelligence because he is dead? Like any abuse victim, it must have been his fault? <modsnip: Quoted post was modsnipped>

Again, there was no suicide. 10 or so shots in the back is homicide (I am not a medical examiner, but as an amateur, I will assert that). It is absurd to bring that word into this thread.

Alex has surviving family, friends and coworkers. Victims, all of them. Your words are terrible to the victims, IMO. Maybe you are not personally offended by words like "suicide," but others might be.

MOO

 

[JennieM]

My opinion... the totality of the situation will be considered. Who can predict their behavior in an escalated situation? I know war vets, combat vets, LE both active and retired. Who can say how a person will respond if they feel their life is on the line? Whether "I" think it was or not, in my opinion, legally speaking, doesn't matter, nor does what "I" see in a video. In my opinion investigators and legal experts in this case will surely look at the totality of circumstances and also will seek to determine the answer to the question...what was the agents perception at the time?

They escalated the situation by pushing, pepper spraying and eventually killing.