People participate in an anti-ICE rally Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo)
US President Donald Trump’s administration have defended the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, even as bystander videos appear to contradict their account, Reuters reports.
Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital, was shot dead on Saturday during a protest linked to immigration enforcement. Vigils and protests continued across the city on Sunday, with residents gathering in freezing conditions to leave flowers and candles at the site of the killing.
Official account disputed by video
Trump administration officials said Pretti assaulted officers, forcing them to fire in self-defence. “The victims are Border Patrol agents,” senior Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino told CNN.
However, videos verified by Reuters show Pretti holding a mobile phone, not a gun, as he tried to help other protesters who had been pushed to the ground. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said there was no sign Pretti had threatened officers.
“The videos speak for themselves,” O’Hara told CBS, adding that he had seen no evidence that Pretti brandished a weapon.
Story continues below this ad
What the footage shows
The footage shows Pretti filming as a federal agent shoved two women. Pretti stepped between them and raised his arm as he was pepper-sprayed. Several agents then forced him to the ground. A gun was later seen being removed from his waistband area, moments before he was shot multiple times while restrained.
Minnesota Conservation officers and State Troopers try to arrest a protester that tore down police tape in Minneapolis on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (Photo: AP)
Minnesota officials said Pretti had a valid state permit to carry a concealed firearm, which is protected under a 2022 Supreme Court ruling.
Darius Reeves, a former head of an ICE field office, told Reuters the agents’ actions raised concerns. “It’s clear no one is communicating,” he said.
Second fatal shooting this month
Pretti is the second US citizen killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this month. Earlier in January, another American, Renee Good, was shot dead during a separate operation. That case is under state review, after the US Justice Department withdrew its cooperation.
Story continues below this ad
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz again urged Trump to pull federal agents out of the state, calling their actions unconstitutional. A federal judge has ordered the administration to preserve all evidence linked to Pretti’s killing.
Thousands of people marched through Minneapolis on Sunday, chanting “ICE out”. Business leaders from companies including Target, Cargill and Best Buy called for calm and cooperation between authorities.
Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton criticised the shootings. Clinton accused the Trump administration of lying, while Obama said US values were under attack. “This has to stop,” Barack and Michelle Obama said in a statement.
Trump says case under review
Trump told the Wall Street Journal that his administration was “reviewing everything” related to the shooting. “We will come out with a determination,” he said, according to Reuters.
The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault. pic.twitter.com/0JmEsJ1QFW
He also suggested federal agents could eventually leave Minneapolis, but gave no timeline. “At some point we will leave. They’ve done a phenomenal job,” Trump said.
Investigations by state and federal authorities are continuing.
Share
People participate in an anti-ICE rally Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo) 
