Alex Pretti part of anti-ICE group that confronted Border Patrol before Minneapolis shooting
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: ICU nurse Alex Pretti was among a small group of anti-ICE protesters who confronted Border Patrol agents during an arrest in south Minneapolis before he was fatally shot on January 25, according to activists, residents and video footage reviewed by authorities.
Witnesses said word spread through the neighborhood that federal agents were conducting immigration operations, prompting dozens of locals to gather near the New American Development Center where the confrontation unfolded.
Video recorded moments before the shooting appears to challenge parts of the Department of Homeland Security’s initial account, raising new questions about how the deadly encounter escalated.
Alex Pretti joined protestors who confronted Border Patrol
Pretti, 37, joined roughly 50 protesters who confronted Border Patrol agents as they detained an undocumented migrant, residents told the New York Post.
“It was quiet. It was Saturday, and people weren’t working. Word got around that a bunch of ICE agents had shown up and were making rounds, so folks mobilized,” a woman named Blair said at a nearby coffee shop.
“It wasn’t that many people - maybe 50 altogether, which sounds like a lot, but it isn’t. “At about 8:30 I heard a bunch of gunshots, and we knew something bad had happened. The next thing we knew, ambulances showed up,” she added.
During the chaos, federal agents tackled Pretti to the ground before shooting him multiple times.
Video challenges DHS narrative
Footage from the moments leading up to the shooting shows Pretti filming agents as tensions rose. One agent appears to shove protesters toward a white SUV, pushing one woman to the ground.
Pretti then steps between the agent and the fallen protester as pepper spray is discharged toward his face. While shielding himself and still holding his phone, he tries to help the woman up, the video shows.
Several agents then pin Pretti to the ground. One agent in a gray coat appears to remove a handgun from Pretti’s waistband and walk away with it. Another agent later draws his weapon and fires at Pretti’s back, with at least 10 shots discharged within seconds.
Authorities have suggested an accidental shot from Pretti’s gun after it was removed may have triggered the barrage.
Officials say agents feared for lives
Following the incident, the Department of Homeland Security claimed an agent fired “defensive shots” after Pretti approached agents “brandishing a handgun.”
Officials further alleged Pretti intended to “massacre” law enforcement or “inflict maximum damage,” adding that he “reacted violently” during efforts to disarm him.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry a concealed firearm and had no criminal record. Pretti’s ex-wife said he obtained his permit about three years ago and owned at least one semiautomatic handgun.
