MN - Alex Pretti dead after Minneapolis shooting involving immigration agents, US media report, January 24, 2026

[Charlot123]

Please note: analyzing the events that unfolded does not equate with declaring that the shooting was justified.

But, there's always a but ... the woman in the white coat and black toque, who was eventually shoved by ICE, was talking to ICE agents when everything went wrong. Why was she, an "observer", talking to ICE agents? Could that be interpreted as crossing the line of non-interference with federal ICE agents conducting an arrest? That interaction triggered everything that followed.

green: white Coat woman following ICE agents, talking to him
red: Ice Agent looking back at white coat woman
Pretti: escorting a woman away from possible confrontation?
View attachment 639568

green: white coat woman is still interacting with ICE agent
red: ICE agent giving her his full attention
Pretti: looking back and paying attention to white coat woman
View attachment 639569

green: white coat woman still talking to ICE agent ... saying what?
red: ICE agent shoves woman in white coat
Pretti: giving full attention to woman talking to ICE agent
View attachment 639570

green: woman in white coat slipped and fell on snow
red: ICE agent grabbing Pretti's hand
Pretti: stepped in between ICE agent and woman who was talking to ICE agent
View attachment 639574

When the nurse (Pretti) tried to help the woman in the white coat stand up, ICE agents may have assumed that they were together. That is when more agents approached and tackled Pretti.

If the woman in the white coat had observed, and not interacted with ICE agents, would Pretti have been shot?

Guardian News:

Maybe not, but something else would have happened. First, it seems to be an exceptionally poorly acting group of agents so once they lost their goal, anger ensued.

We have two sides here, it seems.

One is, “no one invited you here” side

The other one is a group of people who may have poor innate ability to de-escalate and were not trained to deal with broad US public, a huge issue.

Pretti, if I understand correctly, used to be a scientist before he went into nursing. Perhaps by nature he is “the organizing” type. He was helping the protesters find the parking before it all happened. So it seems that he was “trying to organize something in a prone-to-chaos-situation”. When the woman was hit, his “helper’s side” turned in, he was a nurse, after all. And he ended up being the martyr.

So, yes, IMO, both sides have to draw certain conclusions.

The protesters: least of all do we need it to descend into chaos. Our right to express our opinion is protected by the First Amendment, but we are not out to yell profanities because it doesn’t reach the goal. There are rules to civilized confrontation, and they don’t imply rudeness or inciting aggression from your opponents.

The ICE: look, practically the worst thing you can imagine doing is killing an American citizen during a peaceful protest, in his own state! You call yourself law enforcement, so behave accordingly. Wear ear plugs if you are irritated by the whistles, but don’t attack or kill peaceful protesters, they have the right to protest.

So here is Alex Pretti’s life story

He was a typical American boy. A former Boy Scout and a choir boy who got a degree in biology and published research papers, before switching to nursing in VA. He was married (I read, divorced, elsewhere). He was a vegan (so, perhaps liked animals?) and also, exercised his Second Amendment right. He had no criminal history. The society has lost a very good person, IMHO. RIP.

Alex Pretti's life and death in Minneapolis. 'A genuine person'

Alex Pretti, shot by a Border Patrol agent, was an ICU nurse. Kristi Noem suggested that he was a domestic terrorist. Others say he was "genuine," "good."

www.usatoday.com

 

[Slynderella]

He had a high caliber weapon, a super duper gun - it was simultaneously the gun being taken and ice shooting, how was ice supposed to know he wasn't reaching for another weapon or the exact one that was being removed from him, they were protecting the ice agents as they should of been - he shouldn't of been fighting w/ICE nor had any weapon to use against ICE <modsnip: Thread is not about immigration policy>

 

[PawneeDew]

Somebody is lying.

jmo

Then why was ICE really there? They took their eyes off the person they were supposedly there to detain, who supposedly had no criminal record (I wonder if this person even exists, at this point) and they left him in the donut shop?! Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but seriously why was ICE there? Make it make sense

 

[Summerliz03]

He had a high caliber weapon, a super duper gun - it was simultaneously the gun being taken and ice shooting, how was ice supposed to know he wasn't reaching for another weapon or the exact one that was being removed from him, they were protecting the ice agents as they should of been - he shouldn't of been fighting w/ICE nor had any weapon to use against ICE.

He wasn’t fighting with ICE. He wasn’t being violent. He was helping a woman up who had been pushed.

If ICE was worried for their safety, they should have de-escalated the situation, but instead they pepper sprayed a man that they didn’t know was armed and then tackled him to the ground. While he was on the ground, they saw a holstered gun in his pants, removed it and shot him 10+ times. Why were they even trying to arrest him, what were the charges? He broke absolutely zero laws and was not being violent or threatening/obstructing any law enforcement.

 

[Ruminations]

Just want to point out that these weren't ICE agents. They were Border Control agents. Not that it matters that much as now they are all following the same 'agenda' ..... i.e. all potential immigrants (largely based on skin color) are likely criminals and therefore should be detained (grabbed) without any warrant or evidence. Same playbook in my measly opinion.

There have been many documented cases where people were detained and then let go as there was no evidence they broke the law. (One recent example is the elderly Hmong gentleman who was taken out of his home in the dead of winter in his underwear and just a blanket over his shoulders. He was later released. Why did they treat him like that??)

The distinction matters a little bit, because there is no Federal border to patrol in Minneapolis. So, they can't even be said to be doing border control things.

ICE is supposed to be enforcing immigration law, so if it is true that the man they were chasing was an undocumented immigrant, there is some argument for an orderly ICE arrest. (Although it is also reported that he is suspected of some kind of crime, so he should face justice for that, first, before enforcing immigration law if it's serious.)

So, assuming it was appropriate to arrest the target, by ICE, not border patrol, how can these federal agents, who greatly outnumbered him, be so incompetent? He ran into a donut shop and was locked inside. Their job was nearly done. If the shop door would not be opened, they would need a warrant. If a judge believed it was reasonable to tell the shop to let officials in, they could get a warrant.

How did this guy escape? That is on the agents, not the public taking videos.

Even if they hadn't killed anyone, they flubbed that arrest royally even when way over-staffed. It is embarrassingly incompetent that they could not detain that suspect.

MOO

 

[Strangeworld]

He had a high caliber weapon, a super duper gun - it was simultaneously the gun being taken and ice shooting, how was ice supposed to know he wasn't reaching for another weapon or the exact one that was being removed from him, they were protecting the ice agents as they should of been - he shouldn't of been fighting w/ICE nor had any weapon to use against ICE <modsnip>

<modsnip: Quoted post was modsnipped>

But I thought he was legally allowed to carry the gun? Were there any limitations on where he could carry it? So given many people carry guns legally, why were ICE not trained in dealing with a situation like this where someone is carrying legally? Or if they were trained for these situations, why did the behave and react the way they did? Because that would be a slippery slope from the perspective of those who want the right to carry, because they risk being killed in the street simply for carrying a gun that they are legally allowed to do. If someone entered Walmart or walked around the park, is it appropriate for law enforcement/ICE to assume they are going to use the gun and would justify shooting them?

 

[Lisbeth_S]

Minnesota prisons say that federal agents are giving 'inaccurate information' about man they were seeking​

BREAKING

The Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) has rebutted some of the claims made by Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino and other federal officials when Alex Pretti was shot.

Bovino has said that immigration enforcement agents were seeking Jose Huerta Chuma during their "targeted" operation, and that Chuma's criminal history includes domestic assault, intentional infliction of bodily harm and disorderly conduct.

The DOC in a statement says federal statements "have repeatedly included inaccurate information about Minnesota custody and criminal records", prompting them to review available records to determine whether Chuma had any connection to Minnesota state prison custody.

Per the statement, the Minnesota DOC says:

• The individual identified by federal officials has never been in Minnesota DOC custody
• DOC and court records show no felony commitments associated with this
• Public Minnesota court records reflect only misdemeanor-level traffic offenses from more than a decade ago
• The individual is not currently under DOC supervision.

The DOC adds that their records also indicate the Huerta was previously held in federal immigration custody in a local Minnesota jail in 2018, noting that this was during President Trump’s first administration.

"Any decisions regarding release from federal custody at that time would have been made by federal authorities. DOC has no information explaining why this individual was released," the statement says.

The DOC also pushed back on allegations that it does not cooperate with ICE to facilitate custody transfers for individuals subject to federal detainers.

"The inaccurate assertions of these high-level ICE officials are untrue, reckless, and contrary to longstanding practice," the DOC says.

Minneapolis live: Protesters gather in Minneapolis as governor calls on Trump to remove agents after shooting

Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, was killed by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis on Saturday.

www.bbc.co.uk

Too many people are missing the massive point made in this statement IMO.

Noem clearly said in the press conference after the shooting that Minnesota authorities are releasing violent illegal immigrants (instead of turning them over to the federal authorities) and this statement from DOC demonstrate that in fact federal authorities are the ones doing it.
The person they were looking for was never an inmate of Minnesota DOC, he was in fact a federal prisoner who was released by the same federal authorities who are now scrambling to find him (and killing innocent victims in the process).

What more do we need to admit that Noem (and her crew) are lying through their teeth? These lies are what people are protesting for: the lies that they use to justify ICE's actions.

 

[Ruminations]

He had a high caliber weapon, a super duper gun - it was simultaneously the gun being taken and ice shooting, how was ice supposed to know he wasn't reaching for another weapon or the exact one that was being removed from him, they were protecting the ice agents as they should of been - he shouldn't of been fighting w/ICE nor had any weapon to use against ICE <modsnip: Thread is not about immigration policy>

1) it was a border control agent, not ICE. 2) the victim was not fighting the agents. He was helping another victim who was pushed down. 3) he was carrying a legal gun responsibly 4) the victim was a US citizen. 5) the target of the operation that was alleged to have some immigration issues was allowed to escape because the over-sized team trying to arrest him got distracted. It was incompetence of the agents.

I don't like my tax dollars spent on a bumbling, trigger happy team of enforcers who push people down, pepper spray people, and shoot people while they let their suspect get away.

MOO

 

[Inthedetails]

Then why was ICE really there? They took their eyes off the person they were supposedly there to detain, who supposedly had no criminal record (I wonder if this person even exists, at this point) and they left him in the donut shop?! Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but seriously why was ICE there? Make it make sense

In any other crime on WS, we would analyze the perps' actions, but in this case, all the scrutiny seems to be focused on the victim.

Why did the agents aggressively approach members of the public (women, fwiw) and SHOVE them to the ground? Why were they so angry with Alex for helping the fallen women that they massed-tackled him?


jmopinion

 

[Cubby]

It's one thing to order it and an entirely different thing to comply. I have no confidence they'll comply.

A federal judge in Minnesota has blocked the Trump administration from "destroying or altering evidence" related to today's fatal shooting of Pretti.
[snip]
Judge Eric Tostrud's order includes any "evidence that Defendants and those working on their behalf removed from the scene and/or evidence that Defendants have taken into their exclusive custody," it states.
Judge orders Trump administration officials to preserve evidence from shooting

 

[SouthAussie]

Too many people are missing the massive point made in this statement IMO.

Noem clearly said in the press conference after the shooting that Minnesota authorities are releasing violent illegal immigrants (instead of turning them over to the federal authorities) and this statement from DOC demonstrate that in fact federal authorities are the ones doing it.
The person they were looking for was never an inmate of Minnesota DOC, he was in fact a federal prisoner who was released by the same federal authorities who are now scrambling to find him (and killing innocent victims in the process).

What more do we need to admit that Noem (and her crew) are lying through their teeth? These lies are what people are protesting for: the lies that they use to justify ICE's actions.

Yes, I was reading earlier that immigration detainees are handed over to federal officers. The feds are the ones who keep or release them.


When ICE continued to claim they were picking up violent criminals off the streets after they were released from prison, Schnell released video evidence of inmates being literally handed off to ICE agents.

Schnell described it as a routine process, required by state law, that "occurs in every single case involving ICE detainers."

"It is disturbing that DHS continues to issue inaccurate statements that erode public trust. We will not allow misinformation to go unchecked—especially when it threatens the integrity of public safety agencies and undermines transparency," Schnell said in a statement.

Records undercut ICE claims that MN jails, prisons release 'worst of the worst'

The Trump Administration has repeatedly blamed county and state officials in Minnesota for releasing violent criminals from jail or prison instead of handing them over to ICE for deportation. But many of those detainees have no criminal records in Minnesota or haven’t been incarcerated here for...

www.fox9.com

 

[Summerliz03]

In any other crime on WS, we would analyze the perps' actions, but in this case, all the scrutiny seems to be focused on the victim.

To piggyback off of that, there’s very few other crimes that get discussed here on WS that have multiple videos showing the crime happening from many different angles, so we can see with our own two eyes what happened during said crime. And yet, the victims behaviors are still being picked apart and the perpetrators actions are being justified. It’s wild to me. IMO.

 

[HawthorneJuniper]

because those on the border are there to control the border. Those in MN are there based on a completely different agenda. JMO

And I’m seeing that firsthand as I escaped Western MA right after Thanksgiving & have been in Tucson and now Ajo. It’s really close to the border. There’s a big Border Patrol station here. You sees their trucks everywhere in the remote areas but all the checkpoints are closed. Haven’t been stopped once and this is honestly the first time that’s true.

I’m seeing a lot of dissembling. Also see more people not buying the bs this time around. So many moral choices lately. People are showing who they are.

 

[HmmMysterious]

This is what COURAGE looks like.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2015588624302067857

 

[Inthedetails]

It's one thing to order it and an entirely different thing to comply. I have no confidence they'll comply.

It is important to do things properly. Also, it documents what happened. What is on paper can matter now and down the road.

And, it forces the Feds to show who they are, tbh. The order is an opportunity to do the right thing.

jmopinion

 

[Inthedetails]

Trump on Sunday also said he would eventually draw back the thousands of federal agents his administration flooded into the Twin Cities.

“At some point we will leave. We’ve done, they’ve done a phenomenal job,” he told the Journal.

He did not provide a timeline for their removal.

Trump ‘reviewing everything’ about fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, says fed agents will leave Minneapolis ‘at some point’

President Trump said his administration is reviewing the fatal shooting of an armed ICU nurse who was protesting ICE in Minneapolis before Border Patrol agents shot him dead in the street. “W…

nypost.com

 

[waldojabba]

T

Too many people are missing the massive point made in this statement IMO.

Noem clearly said in the press conference after the shooting that Minnesota authorities are releasing violent illegal immigrants (instead of turning them over to the federal authorities) and this statement from DOC demonstrate that in fact federal authorities are the ones doing it.
The person they were looking for was never an inmate of Minnesota DOC, he was in fact a federal prisoner who was released by the same federal authorities who are now scrambling to find him (and killing innocent victims in the process).

What more do we need to admit that Noem (and her crew) are lying through their teeth? These lies are what people are protesting for: the lies that they use to justify ICE's actions.

Yes the mis/dis information is out of control. It gets so people don't know what to believe. So I don't just single source much - and tend to read across all platforms and mix it up with the providers. It helps to know who owns what as far as MSM etc. We've seen that recently with CBS censoring some of their 60 minutes episodes.

If I watch the tapes its very clear to me personally who is accurate and who is not accurate on this issue.
This victim was one of the "helpers"that Mr Rogers told us all to look for - his last act was trying to help a woman who had been pushed over onto the icy pavement. I then look to his profession - A VA emergency room nurse and before that a cancer researcher. He cared about people.

Who was Alex Pretti, the nurse shot dead by federal agents in Minneapolis?

Two witnesses said in court filings that the victim did not brandish a gun, refuting claims by the Trump administration.

www.aljazeera.com

"Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man,” they said."
In the moment of his murder and the horror of it, that his family has to worry about people slandering his reputation and his good name seems beyond bizarre to me.
What have we come to if we seek to slander victims and tell untruths about them. Have we as Americans no Grace?

Just my opinion

 

[sunspun]

Per the media interview with the ICE department (linked upthread), he said that civilians should not interfere with the duties of federal officers. Observing is fine, taking video is fine. In both of these screen shots, it does not look like a friendly conversation. In my opinion, it looks like a confrontation.

View attachment 639617
see video

Beelden van doodgeschoten burger Minneapolis spreken kamp-Trump tegen

Uit de video's en ooggetuigenverslagen blijkt dat Pretti geen wapen in zijn handen hield, maar juist een telefoon. Deze feiten staan haaks op uitspraken van de federale overheid.

nos.nl

View attachment 639618
Guardian News video

There's no question that excessive force was used, but it doesn't appear to start with excessive force. It appears to start with confrontations between protesters and ICE agents.

I'm sorry, but confronting the agents, protesting their actions, screaming at them, cussing at them -- it's all legal in the US. It may not be very nice (cussing them anyway), but it's not against the law, and it certainly isn't a felony offense. Much less a death penalty crime.

And officers/agents must be able to maintain their composure, follow their rules/training/protocol, and continue doing their job -- even in the face of any annoying words or hostility shown to them by civilians, who are there exercising their Constitutional rights as Americans, and expressing directly to them their disapproval of what the agents are there in their community to do.

That's why all these civilians were out on the street at that time -- to protest ICE actions and to voice their anger and disapproval. They shouted at the agents because they WANTED them to know what they thought about it. That's WHY they were there. They were doing what protesters do, all condoned by US laws. All in the hope that ICE would change their ways. They were there to cause a (peaceful, lawful) disruption.

ICE must be trained better to never react to protesters the way they have done recently. IMO, they're taking it personally, and violently attacking these lawful protesters, mostly because they made them mad, and they feel these mere civilians shouldn't have the right to talk to them like that. So when they do, they're compelled to "show them". But my god, the over the top, unrestrained, inhumane levels of violence and lack of care they show to their fellow human beings is outrageous. Unacceptable. Despicable. Bizarre. IMO.

Because like it or not, the civilians DO have the right to disrespect them and to let them know it.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

Enforcing the law is a basic responsibility of government. Law enforcement should be able to do its job without outside interference, and protesters shouldn’t be allowed to dictate whether or not the law is enforced. imo

Is there a point at which protesters should reconsider their approach?

 

[Snoopster]

I can't imagine a scenario where I would think it wise to holster my Glock 19, strap an extra magazine or 2 on my belt, have foreknowledge of the time and location of Federal agent activity for a given day, arrive on scene, and insert myself into the situation such that I find myself face to face with armed Federal agents.

Tell me how this is in anyway relevant to the agents taking him down and shooting him in the back while he was incapacitated. There is ABSOLUTELY no reason why he should have been shot/killed for having a weapon, which he wasn't even brandishing. So please stop raising irrelevant facts. So lets stick to the relevant facts around this murder. And, yes, in my opinion it was a murder.