Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino claims Minneapolis shooting victim aimed to 'massacre' agents
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino said on Saturday, January 24, that the man shot and killed by a federal agent in Minneapolis appeared intent on causing “maximum damage” and carrying out a “massacre” of law enforcement officers during a targeted immigration operation.
Bovino made the remarks during an afternoon press conference, held just hours after the fatal shooting. He said that the agents were forced to respond after the man approached them while armed, interrupting what he described as a lawful federal operation.
“During this operation, an individual approached US Border Patrol agents with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun,” Bovino said.
“The agents attempted to disarm the individual, but he violently resisted. Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, a Border Patrol agent fired defensive shots,” he added.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene despite medics responding immediately, Bovino stated.
Operation targeted violent fugitive from Ecuador
According to Bovino, the Border Patrol team was in Minneapolis to apprehend a violent illegal immigrant from Ecuador when the situation escalated. The man who was shot was not the target of the operation, Bovino said, but instead disrupted the raid.
Federal officials had repeatedly said that such operations were narrowly focused on individuals with violent criminal histories, particularly as the Trump administration ramps up immigration enforcement nationwide during the president’s second term.
Bovino said that the presence of additional ammunition heightened the perceived threat.
“The suspect also had two loaded magazines and no accessible ID,” he said. “This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”
Later in a Truth Social post, President Donald Trump posted images of a handgun, which Bovino cited as evidence that the agents faced an imminent threat.
Mayor Jacob Frey and Police chief dispute the federal account
The Border Patrol chief’s account sharply contrasted with statements made earlier by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O’Hara.
O’Hara told reporters that the man was a 37-year-old local resident and described him as a “lawful gun owner.”
Frey went further, using the shooting to condemn federal immigration enforcement and urging President Donald Trump to halt what he described as an aggressive crackdown in the city.
Bovino took two questions from reporters during his press conference but declined to provide specifics on several critical details, including whether the man brandished or pointed his weapon at agents.
Asked directly whether the suspect pulled the gun before shots were fired, Bovino said that the incident remained under investigation.
“This situation is evolving,” he said. “This is under investigation, and those facts will come to light.”
Federal authorities said that the shooting would be reviewed under standard use-of-force protocols. The new Minneapolis shooting comes as immigration enforcement has emerged as a central political flashpoint.
Federal officials argued that agents increasingly faced hostility and danger while carrying out lawful operations, while critics said that aggressive enforcement tactics increased the risk of violent encounters.
