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

[JennieM]

35m ago
CNN is reporting that border patrol official Gregory Bovino’s access to his social media accounts was suspended.

The move comes after Bovino responded to posts about the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti over the weekend, accusing Pretti of assaulting immigration agents before he was shot dead. Bovino’s claim has not been supported by videos of the killing on Saturday.

An official for the Department of Homeland Security said earlier today that Bovino has not been removed from his duties after reports saying otherwise.

Minneapolis mayor says some federal agents will begin to leave on Tuesday amid growing anger over Alex Pretti death – live

Jacob Frey adds that he will meet border czar Tom Homan; Donald Trump described their call as ‘very good’, claiming ‘lots of progress’ was made

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

17m ago
Maanvi Singh

Hundreds of candles were lit at a memorial for Pretti, created at the site of his killing – many of them scented and tapered lights that neighbors had scrounged from their homes.

Brass Solidarity – a band that had formed in the aftermath of the 2020 murder of another Minneapolis resident George Floyd – played a rendition of Stand By Me, and the dozens of people gathered around the memorial sand along. The community band, led by Raycurt Johnson, normally plays once a week in George Floyd Square – near the site of Floyd’s killing. After Renee Nicole Good was killed, they began playing in her memory, as well. On Monday, they honored Pretti.

“Say his name!” They shouted as they concluded their song. “Alex Pretti!” The neighborhood screamed back.

Earlier in the day, Pho 79 and Carvalle, a Vietnamese and Chinese restaurant down the street from the Pretti memorial, was offering free meals to anyone in need. In the evening, they had set out hand warmers and other supplies for demonstrators who had gathered nearby.

Two days ago, in the aftermath of the killing, many of the restaurants along this corridor, known as “eat street” had transformed into makeshift shelters and field hospitals for demonstrators and observers injured by the chemical irritants that federal agents had used against them.

On Monday night, the street was fairly quiet – save for the brass music that pierced through the chilly air.

Minneapolis mayor says some federal agents will begin to leave on Tuesday amid growing anger over Alex Pretti death – live

Jacob Frey adds that he will meet border czar Tom Homan; Donald Trump described their call as ‘very good’, claiming ‘lots of progress’ was made

www.theguardian.com

 

[Inthedetails]

35m ago
CNN is reporting that border patrol official Gregory Bovino’s access to his social media accounts was suspended.

The move comes after Bovino responded to posts about the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti over the weekend, accusing Pretti of assaulting immigration agents before he was shot dead. Bovino’s claim has not been supported by videos of the killing on Saturday.

An official for the Department of Homeland Security said earlier today that Bovino has not been removed from his duties after reports saying otherwise.

Minneapolis mayor says some federal agents will begin to leave on Tuesday amid growing anger over Alex Pretti death – live

Jacob Frey adds that he will meet border czar Tom Homan; Donald Trump described their call as ‘very good’, claiming ‘lots of progress’ was made

www.theguardian.com

Adding to the converation about Bovino's suspension from social media accounts:

Bovino would use one X account, @CMDROpAtLargeCA, to post multiple times a day, trolling his critics, sharing mugshots of immigrants his officers arrested, and publicizing his own appearances at press conferences and on cable news.

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/minneapolis-shooting-ice-protests-01-26-26?post-id=cmkvf2qhm000n356p008604ck&t=1769478354838

 

[JennieM]

38 min ago

Alex Pretti's colleague says he was a compassionate nurse caring for veteran patients​

From CNN's Danya Gainor
Dr. Aasma Shaukat, a co-worker and mentor of Alex Pretti at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, said the 37-year-old ICU nurse was full of empathy and compassion and easily connected with the veteran patients he cared for at work.

“He really connected with patients, particularly veterans, that he thought were a vulnerable group, and he truly believed he was helping them. Not everybody can do that as easily as Alex,” Shaukat told CNN’s Erin Burnett.

Shaukat, who worked alongside Pretti for six years, said she wasn’t surprised to learn that he was engaged in peaceful protests in the community.

“He was all about being a good citizen, standing up for your neighbors, your community, and standing up for what he believed was unjust or unfair,” she said. “That would be very much Alex.”

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/minneapolis-shooting-ice-protests-01-26-26?post-id=cmkvui6oy00003b6qq6ol0av6&t=1769479028171

 

[Inthedetails]

Regarding Alex' phone (with apologies if this has been posted already):

• The FBI took possession of “a mobile phone and a firearm belonging to the deceased” Pretti, according to the lead DHS official overseeing the investigation into the shooting....
• DHS investigators now have access to Pretti’s phone, the Homeland Security investigations’ special agent in charge said.

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/minneapolis-shooting-ice-protests-01-26-26?post-id=cmkvf2qhm000n356p008604ck&t=1769478354838

 

[witchway]

Adding to the converation about Bovino's suspension from social media accounts:

Bovino would use one X account, @CMDROpAtLargeCA, to post multiple times a day, trolling his critics, sharing mugshots of immigrants his officers arrested, and publicizing his own appearances at press conferences and on cable news.

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/minneapolis-shooting-ice-protests-01-26-26?post-id=cmkvf2qhm000n356p008604ck&t=1769478354838

instagram/x/facebook all up still under that account name

 

[statt#1]

He had every right to carry a gun wherever he went, per the Constitution.

<modsnip: Information stated as fact with no approved source to support>

It's my opinion that had he not been carrying that day, and had he not inserted himself when the woman was pushed down, he'd likely be alive today.

It's my opinion that an unfortunate chain of events transpired. I do not adhere to the notion that a Federal agent in this case committed 1st degree murder.

It's my opinion that no charges will be brought against the Federal agents in this case, however, if so, they will be lesser in nature, considering a litany of factors that came in to play that day.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

With all my respect, the article reads as if the groups behind the protests are radical leftists and anti-Israeli and that they are financed by George Soros…

Not to mention that Soros is 95, but George Soros (Gyorgy Schwartz) is a Hungarian-born Jew who survived the Nazi occupation.

Why the heck should he finance anti-Israeli groups?

You know, propaganda has the right to exist, First Amendment, but then, it can be smart, stupid or plain bizarre. This is the example of bizarro fiction. JMO.

The article doesn’t say that he financed any anti Israeli groups. There are several groups involved in the anti-ICE protests, not all funded by George Soros’ Open Society Foundations. Indivisible Twin Cities is separate from the Council on American-Islamic Relations. imo

From the link -
In addition to Indivisible Twin Cities — which does not identify its leaders on its website — other protest leaders include the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an anti-Israel group whose Minnesota chapter’s executive director Jaylani Hussein has rallied against ICE at protests.

 

[statt#1]

I'm sorry, but nobody had to know that this man had his fully permitted handgun.

He did not take it out.

He did not reach for it.

What he did do is try to assist someone pushed and peppersprayed.

These two facts are in my opinion critical to the case.

He inserted himself. And he was armed. Yes, a right to be armed, however, had he not been armed and not inserted himself into the situation when the woman was pushed down he'd likely be alive today.

 

[Inthedetails]

instagram/x/facebook all up still under that account name

The account will likely remain but he no longer has access to use it.

jmo

 

[Amonet]

Some of the federal government want to double down, and many seem to view the detention of illegal immigrants as some sort of "war" where they use the word "capitulation" if they withdraw or alter methods. Rather than ask what is the right way to proceed in a democracy, the focus seems to be on popularity, and how to improve it.

"Some in the administration worry that public polling and sentiment has turned against the administration’s immigration actions in cities, and some discussions have centered on how to continue deportations without clashing with protesters, officials said. Trump adviser Stephen Miller has continued to push for aggressive immigration enforcement, arguing the administration shouldn’t back down in Minneapolis.​

...​

​

Trump administration officials said they were planning to make a concerted effort in the coming weeks to improve ICE’s image by highlighting what agents are doing in other places besides Minneapolis. Though officials have privately discussed polling showing the public is souring on their operations, many in the administration think that winding down their efforts in Minneapolis would amount to a capitulation to the left, the officials said."​

https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-says-administration-is-reviewing-everything-about-minneapolis-shooting-a501f48e

Clinton: “To make matters worse, those responsible have lied to us repeatedly, told us not to believe what we saw with our own eyes, and used increasingly aggressive and hostile tactics, including obstructing investigations by local authorities.”​

...​

​

Shortly after Pretti's death, the Department of Homeland Security said that Pretti "violently resisted" disarmament until officers fired "defensive shots." Bystander footage contradicts that version of events."​

Obama noemt dood Alex Pretti 'wake-upcall', Trump belooft onderzoek

Trump zegt tegen The Wall Street Journal ook bereid te zijn om immigratieambtenaren uit Minneapolis te halen, zonder aan te geven wanneer dat zou gebeuren.

nos.nl

I think if this was more obviously seen as being about dealing with active criminals and not about left vs right, there would be far less protesting against it.

Protecting citizens from in-the-moment crime is something that transcends political leanings. Everyone agrees that violent criminals should be apprehended by LE and taken to court and put in prison (or potentially removed from the country at some point after being found guilty if they are not a legal citizen).

As a non-US person there are aspects here that I don't understand. But I do believe that if people are clear on what crime was committed by an illegal alien (or anyone else) and that the individual is an ongoing threat, they wouldn't be likely to have a problem with that individual being apprehended by LE. I suspect that some of the hostility towards ICE started as some members of the public were not so clear on who was being targeted and what level of threat they posed? I think that's the point where the messaging and methods should have been reassessed rather than reaching a point where the Pretti killing became just about inevitable and there was then a series of clearly false claims made that he was brandishing a weapon and had an obvious aim to murder LE and civilians.

I'm torn as I want this to calm down, I want the apprehension of violent criminals done in the right way to protect innocent people and not have LE at risk either. But I am also really concerned about the strength of the immediate statements about the incident...do they have more of a political motivation than a motivation of justice and truth? Again, this is not something that should differ by political 'sides' as justice and truth also transcend 'sides' and I don't think the US is as split on issues like that as some might make out.

 

[Herat]

Adding to the converation about Bovino's suspension from social media accounts:

Bovino would use one X account, @CMDROpAtLargeCA, to post multiple times a day, trolling his critics, sharing mugshots of immigrants his officers arrested, and publicizing his own appearances at press conferences and on cable news.

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/minneapolis-shooting-ice-protests-01-26-26?post-id=cmkvf2qhm000n356p008604ck&t=1769478354838

Sounds exactly like the kind of creep Noem would want to put in Minnesota: Does not follow the rules, openly flaunts information that should be professionally handled, wants to put the spotlight on himself.

 

[marloweclover]

Imo, the idea that one should observe people being pepper sprayed and assaulted and shrug and keep walking is rather upsetting, especially if one is a medical professional. We know that the woman Alex tried to help was not the target of the operation; that was a man (see link); ergo imo he was not inserting himself into anything except assisting an injured bystander.

target of operation

 

[Sundog]

IMO ICE Operations need to switch tactics. These trained agitator activists are amping up and becoming more dangerously organized. They need to minimize apprehensions in crowds where bystanders think they’re the main character and wanting their viral moment. Pick ground, tighten parameters, control distance, move fast, keep it clean, keep it boring, take people into custody where there’s limited audience and chaos. These apprehensions are turning into street spectacles. You are no longer running an operation you’re managing bad actors( many violent - one biting the finger tip off an agent), and plenty of them. Lean heavier on technology (facial recognition, lic plate readers, social media monitoring, skip tracing) get in, get out. Slow is smooth, fast is smooth.

For the love of God, give the DHS Security a strict script to stick too. The instant inflammatory remarks don’t help. Your agents are beyond over it.

You know who didn’t get shot by federal agents this past weekend? Me.

IMO

Creating a strict perimeter is essential, and that should be done by state and local law enforcement. When Walz and the local mayor guy allow law enforcement to stand up rather than stand down, that should be resolved. And then federal immigration officers can carry out their operations focusing on what they are there to do, which is arrest illegal immigrants. A strict perimeter is what is missing. And state and local leaders need to change their m.o. which is likely a big part of the President's discussion with them on how to move forward and work together to keep the peace and allow ICE to carry out their mission.

 

[statt#1]

He had every right to carry a gun wherever he went, per the Constitution.

This is not true. There are restrictions on the carrying of a firearm in all states, and they vary.

https://www.handgunlaw.us/states/minnesota.pdf

Sec. 624.714 MN Statutes

www.revisor.mn.gov

Sec. 624.714 MN Statutes

www.revisor.mn.gov

Permit to Carry frequently asked questions | Minnesota Department of Public Safety

Answers to common questions about Minnesota's permit to carry firearms.

dps.mn.gov

 

[sds71]

A veteran whom Alex Pretti cared for in the ICU earlier this month: "It was heartbreaking to see the video. It was heartbreaking to know when I found out it was him. What was worse was listening to Kristi Noem talk about him the way she did."

https://twitter.com/x/status/2015975786608542130

 

[Summerliz03]

This is not true. There are restrictions on the carrying of a firearm in all states, and they vary.

https://www.handgunlaw.us/states/minnesota.pdf

Sec. 624.714 MN Statutes

www.revisor.mn.gov

Sec. 624.714 MN Statutes

www.revisor.mn.gov

Permit to Carry frequently asked questions | Minnesota Department of Public Safety

Answers to common questions about Minnesota's permit to carry firearms.

dps.mn.gov

Can you show me in any of those documents where he wasn’t permitted to be carrying it on a public sidewalk and street in MN?

 

[Sundog]

So it will be interesting to see if Minnesota and Minneapolis follow suit and give ground as well. Let us hope so.

I have my doubts. The mayor of Minneapolis, Frey, already stated that he will not enforce federal immigration law - and this was after talking to the President.

 

[Snoopster]

Scapegoats r us!

Agree...but still not sad to see him go.

But who will they replace him with? Someone who hates humanity even worse?

 

[Charlot123]

I agree with you, and I hope he does go because it will definitely show his true feelings and motivation behind the deployment of ICE in Minnesota. He will probably talk about how dangerous it is for him to go there, call it a war zone, disparage all the government officials there and then leave. All MOO

Better to keep him away from Minnesota.