Can you tell me more about the Minneapolis shooting a man?
Executive summary
A Border Patrol agent shot and killed a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026, during a targeted federal immigration operation, touching off protests and a scramble over who will investigate the use of force; officials and video accounts have offered sharply conflicting narratives about whether the man was armed . The victim has been publicly identified as Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse and Minneapolis resident, and state leaders have demanded independent oversight while federal authorities say the Department of Homeland Security is investigating with FBI assistance .
1. What happened on the street: the basic sequence reported
Local police and witnesses say federal agents were conducting a targeted operation in South Minneapolis when a confrontation resulted in a man being shot and later pronounced dead; Minneapolis officers first arrived after reports of shots fired and found the victim with life‑threatening wounds before firefighters and paramedics attempted lifesaving measures [1]. Multiple outlets report the shooting occurred in the Whittier/area near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue, with bystander and surveillance video emerging that appears to capture at least parts of the encounter [1].
2. Who the victim was and how he’s been described
The man killed has been identified in reporting as 37‑year‑old Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse who worked at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and, according to local officials, had no criminal record; colleagues described him as a dedicated caregiver . City and local media named him publicly as officials and community members reacted with shock, noting this was the second fatal federal‑agent shooting in Minneapolis in January after the death of Renée Good earlier in the month .
3. Conflicting official claims vs. video and local reaction
Federal sources and DHS statements assert the agents were conducting an immigration operation and that the person shot was armed, while independent video analysis published by The New York Times and other outlets suggests the man was holding a phone rather than a gun, a discrepancy that has fueled outrage and demands for transparency . City leaders, including Minneapolis officials and Governor Tim Walz, have publicly condemned the federal presence and called for the federal operation to be scaled back or removed amid accusations that the surge in immigration enforcement has increased danger on Minneapolis streets [1].
4. Investigation, access disputes, and calls for independent review
Federal authorities say DHS and the FBI are investigating the shooting, but Minnesota officials and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) have sought to lead an independent state inquiry; reporting indicates tensions over scene access, with the BCA at times blocked from the site and securing search warrants to investigate—an unusual procedural dispute that underscores the jurisdictional friction . Local officials and many community members have demanded that Minnesota’s criminal investigators, not federal agencies, take the lead to ensure credibility and transparency .
5. Broader context: protests, security responses and political fallout
The shooting intensified protests already roiling the city after earlier federal‑agent incidents, prompting Minnesota to mobilize the National Guard and county law enforcement to prepare for unrest while the city urged peaceful demonstrations and warned against violence [1]. Political leaders have sharply clashed: Governor Walz and the Minneapolis mayor criticized federal tactics as dangerous and destabilizing, while federal officials defended agents’ actions and announced internal reviews, making the event a flashpoint in the national debate over an intensified immigration‑enforcement surge .
6. What is known and what remains unresolved
Reporting establishes the who, where and that federal agents fired and the man died, but crucial questions remain unresolved in public reporting: whether the victim was armed with a gun at the moment shots were fired, the precise sequence that led to use of lethal force, why state investigators were initially denied full scene access, and which agency will issue final findings and potential criminal referrals—matters various outlets say are under investigation by DHS, the FBI and state authorities . Where available videos and official claims diverge, independent forensic review and transparent release of body‑cam or agent footage will be decisive; reporting to date shows those materials remain contested or only partially public .