Kristi Noem claims Alex Pretti 'violently resisted' federal officers before Minneapolis shooting

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Alex Jeffrey Pretti was shot and killed by a federal agent in Minneapolis on Saturday, January 24, after he approached a Border Patrol officer while carrying a gun, according to officials. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spoke at a press conference the same day, calling Pretti an “armed suspect” and saying he threatened the officer, which led to the shooting.

Noem said Pretti was pronounced dead at the scene and that he was carrying two magazines full of bullets. She claimed Pretti was "violently resisting" the officer and was not listening to him.

This is the second fatal shooting by law enforcement in Minneapolis recently, after an ICE agent, Jonathan Ross, shot Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, on January 7.

Kristi Noem claims Alex Pretti wanted to 'inflict maximum damage and kill law enforcement'

During a press conference at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters in Washington, DC, Kristi Noem voiced support for the Border Patrol officer involved in the Minneapolis shooting, sharing the administration’s account of what happened.

She said, "An individual approach to US Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi‑automatic handgun. The officers attempted to disarm this individual. The armed suspect reacted violently, fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him, the agent fired defensive shots. Medics were on the scene immediately and attempted to deliver medical aid."

"This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement," Noem added. 

At the same briefing, Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino said it "look(ed) like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."

He said around 200 people came to the area and began stopping officers and attacking law enforcement. Bovino also criticized local leaders. He said the mayor and the police chief did not say that the suspect had a gun and magazines full of bullets.

Alex Jeffrey Pretti had a permit to carry a firearm

Alex Jeffrey Pretti was 37 years old and lived in south Minneapolis. Police Chief Brian O’Hara said during a news briefing that Pretti was a White man with no serious criminal record, and the only issues on file were some parking tickets.

O’Hara also said that Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry a firearm. Records show that Pretti attended the University of Minnesota, where he was involved in scientific work, and that he was issued a nursing license in 2021, which remained valid through March 2026.