Federal Agents Shoot ICU Nurse Alex Pretti During Minneapolis ICE Protest, Video Shows No Weapon
Updated (4 articles)
Shooting Occurs Near 26th & Nicollet at 9 a.m. on Jan 24
Minneapolis police and federal immigration agents responded to a report of a shooting at about 9:03 a.m., found Alex Pretti, a 37‑year‑old ICU nurse, with multiple gunshot wounds, and pronounced him dead at Hennepin County Medical Center. The incident unfolded on the city’s south side near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue. Police confirmed Pretti was a U.S. citizen and a legal firearm owner [1][2][3][4].
Bystander Video Shows Pretti Intervening Without a Weapon
Onlookers captured Pretti moving toward a woman being sprayed with an unknown chemical by agents, then being forced to the ground while he raised an empty hand. The footage shows no gun in his hands at any point, contradicting later DHS statements that he was armed. Video analysis by CNN also notes an agent removed a handgun moments before the fatal shot [1][2][3][4].
DHS and Secretary Noem Claim Pretti Was Armed and Violent
The Department of Homeland Security asserted that Pretti brandished a weapon and assaulted officers, and Secretary Kristi Noem said he impeded a law‑enforcement operation and was violent, yet offered no visual or forensic proof. Noem declined to confirm whether Pretti actually displayed a firearm. All four outlets report the agency’s narrative lacked supporting evidence [1][2][3][4].
Family Emphasizes Pretti’s Service and Protective Intent
Parents Michael and Susan Pretti described their son as a caring ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA who devoted himself to veterans and had a clean criminal record aside from minor citations. They said his final act was shielding a woman from the chemical spray, rejecting the “hero” label as a hollow slogan. Police records verify his legal gun ownership and lack of violent offenses [1][2][3][4].
City Leaders Call for Federal Accountability Amid Ongoing Protests
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara demanded discipline, humanity, and integrity from federal agents and urged peaceful protests. Governor Tim Walz linked the shooting to the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement and noted daily demonstrations since the Jan 7 killing of activist Renee Good. Lawmakers and community groups have demanded an independent investigation [1][2][3][4].
Sources (4 articles)
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[1]
WBNS: Alex Pretti, ICU Nurse Killed by Federal Agents in Minneapolis: Details the shooting, parents’ statement, video showing Pretti’s intervention, and officials’ calls for accountability, highlighting DHS’s unsubstantiated armed‑suspect claim .
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[2]
King5: Alex Pretti, ICU nurse, killed by federal agents during Minneapolis protest: Mirrors WBNS facts, adds context of ICE crackdown protests and emphasizes lack of weapon evidence in video .
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[3]
King5: Alex Pretti Killed by Federal Agents in South Minneapolis: Confirms legal gun ownership, family’s dispute of DHS narrative, and situates incident as third federal shooting in three weeks .
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[4]
CNN: Alex Pretti, ICU Nurse Killed During ICE Protest, Remembered for Service: Provides background on Pretti’s VA career, video analysis showing gun removal, and family’s condemnation of agency’s “sickening lies” .
Timeline
Jan 7, 2026 – An ICE officer fatally shoots immigrant activist Renee Good on the south side of Minneapolis, igniting a wave of daily protests against the federal immigration crackdown. The killing becomes the catalyst for a sustained city‑wide movement demanding accountability for federal law‑enforcement actions [1].
Jan 17, 2026 (approx.) – Federal agents wound protester Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celis with a gunshot to the leg during a demonstration, marking the second federal‑force shooting in Minneapolis within three weeks and heightening community outrage [4].
Jan 24, 2026 (~9:03 a.m.) – Federal immigration agents shoot Alex Pretti, a 37‑year‑old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA, after police respond to a report of a shooting near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue. He is taken to Hennepin County Medical Center and pronounced dead [2][3][4].
Jan 24, 2026 – Bystander video captures Pretti stepping toward a woman being sprayed with an unknown chemical by agents, then being forced to the ground; the footage shows no firearm in his hands, contradicting later DHS claims [2][3][4].
Jan 24, 2026 – Parents Michael and Susan Pretti release a statement describing their son as a “kind‑hearted soul” who “was protecting a woman being sprayed with an unknown chemical,” and denounce the agency’s narrative as “sickening lies” [1][2].
Jan 24, 2026 – The Department of Homeland Security alleges Pretti was armed and violent; Secretary Kristi Noem says he “showed up to impede a law‑enforcement operation and assaulted our officers,” yet provides no evidence of a weapon [2][3].
Jan 24, 2026 – Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara demands federal accountability, urging agents to act with “discipline, humanity, and integrity” and calling on protesters to remain peaceful [2].
Jan 24, 2026 – Governor Tim Walz links the shooting to the broader Trump‑administration immigration enforcement surge, noting that the city has been “rocked by daily protests since the Jan. 7 killing of immigrant activist Renee Good” [2].
Jan 25, 2026 – Media retrospectives highlight Pretti’s five‑year tenure as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA, his research on preventing colon‑cancer deaths among veterans, and community recollections of his kindness and dedication to caring for veterans [1].
External resources (2 links)
- https://bit.ly/4qIBeET (cited 2 times)