The fatal shooting of a 37-year-old American man by federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday has sparked fresh protests in a city already rocked by weeks of demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.
Alex Pretti, a nurse in an intensive care unit, was killed following an altercation with federal agents on a roadway. His death has further intensified tensions in Minneapolis, which were already high after Renee Good, another American, was fatally shot in her car by an ICE agent on 7 January.
The Trump administration claimed Pretti posed a threat to the agents, echoing its stance following Good’s death. Despite calls for calm from local police, hundreds of people gathered in a Minneapolis park to protest the killings on Saturday evening, defying freezing conditions.
Protests and tributes for Pretti also took place in cities across the US, including New York and Los Angeles. Politically, Democrats expressed outrage, with some threatening to block federal funding as a potential government shutdown looms at the end of the month.
Minnesota’s Democratic governor, Tim Walz, called for local authorities to lead investigations, criticising federal agencies like ICE for causing “chaos and violence.”
A video verified by authorities and widely shared on social media appears to show agents in body armour marked “Police” attempting to restrain a man. After wrestling him to the ground and striking him multiple times, the footage then shows one shot being fired, followed by several more as the man lies motionless.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the shooting, asserting that Pretti was intent on committing violence. Meanwhile, White House adviser Stephen Miller called Pretti an “assassin,” a label shared by Vice President JD Vance on social media platform X.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Pretti was armed with a semi-automatic pistol and violently resisted arrest, leading the agents to act in self-defence. The department also posted a photo of a gun, claimed to be Pretti’s, on X.
However, investigative outlet Bellingcat analysed the video footage and suggested discrepancies with the DHS account. It noted a moment where it appears one agent moves away carrying a weapon resembling the gun shown by DHS. Bellingcat’s analysis also indicates that two agents fired a total of at least ten shots, most of which occurred while Pretti was motionless on the ground.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated that Pretti was a local resident, had a legal permit to carry a firearm, and was not previously known to law enforcement. He described the aftermath of the shooting as an “extremely unpredictable situation,” with arriving protesters reportedly preventing authorities from securing the scene for investigation.
Former President Donald Trump dismissed criticism of ICE operations, taking to Truth Social to accuse Minneapolis officials of inciting unrest with “pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric.” He underscored the importance of allowing ICE agents to “do their job.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has called on President Trump to halt ICE operations in the city, urging a return to peace.
The city has been on edge following the death of Renee Good, a case that has become emblematic of allegations of overreach by ICE since Trump implemented stricter anti-immigration measures during his presidency.
