Alex Pretti Killed in Minneapolis
Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti during an encounter last weekend in Minneapolis‘s Whittier neighborhood. Pretti was a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and an ICU nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital. Various video angles were unclear and inconclusive, and the agents retained counsel and have not talked, so what we know of the situation is limited.
- Pretti reportedly had a concealed weapon but was properly licensed to carry it.
- During the altercation, an ICE agent appeared to disarm Pretti.
- Pretti, likely not realizing he had been disarmed, reportedly reached for his gun.
- A second later, the gun taken from Pretti appeared to discharge, perhaps accidentally.
- Another agent, likely not realizing Pretti has been disarmed, shot and killed him.
The killing immediately reignited tensions on the street, despite the frigid sub-zero temperatures.
In response, President Trump has shown signs of de-escalation. He spoke with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz about potentially reducing the roughly 3,000 federal immigration agents deployed to Minneapolis, with Walz reporting a productive conversation. Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol official overseeing operations, claimed Pretti intendedviolence against agents, though President Trump later distanced himself from characterizations of Pretti as a would-be assassin, sending border czar Tom Homan to the city. The President removed Gregory Bovino from the operation, reportedly saying that the aggressive official was “pretty out-there” and “maybe it wasn't good here.”
Homan struck a cooperative tone upon arrival, acknowledging federal missteps and taking a subtle jab at DHS Secretary Noem and Bovino by saying he didn't come for photo ops or headlines, and he reported productive meetings with Minnesota officials.
However, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has refused to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, despite Trump's offer to withdraw ICE in exchange for compliance, prompting the president to accuse him of violating federal law.
A few days after the shooting, the BBC verified a video taken of Pretti 11 days before he was fatally shot, causing President Trump to say that Alex Pretti’s “stock has gone way down.” The video shows Pretti armed and assaulting an ICE vehicle and kicking out a tail light before being tackled to the ground by ICE agents.
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