Who shot alex pretti

1. What the footage and major outlets report about who fired

Multiple outlets that reviewed bystander and surveillance video conclude that federal Border Patrol agents were the shooters: The Washington Post’s frame-by-frame analysis reports that agents wrestling Pretti to the ground had already secured a handgun he had been carrying before he was fatally shot, and that other agents then fired ^[3]; The New York Times, CNBC and BBC likewise identify federal immigration agents — variously described as Border Patrol or CBP officers — as the parties who shot and killed Pretti during protests in Minneapolis ^{[2] [5] [6]}.

2. How many agents fired and what the videos show

Video-verified reporting indicates more than one agent fired: The New York Times and other outlets report that two officers appear to have fired at least ten shots over a span of seconds, and The Washington Post documents a sequence in which one agent appears to secure a gun while others then discharge their weapons ^{[2] [3]}. CNBC’s verified clips show a gun being taken by an agent and subsequent rapid volleys of shots, complicating early official descriptions of a single defensive discharge ^[5].

3. The federal account and immediate political responses

Senior Trump administration figures and DHS spokespeople publicly defended the agents’ actions within hours, characterizing Pretti as an aggressor who sought to “massacre law enforcement,” language echoed by political aides and amplified on social media ^{[1] [4]}. Homeland Security officials, including the secretary’s office, issued statements asserting the shooting was justified; at the same time national leaders and federal officials urged investigations and reviewed the operation ^{[4] [6]}.

4. Contradictions between official claims and independent verification

Independent video verification and witness affidavits have contradicted key elements of the initial federal narrative: outlets such as The New York Times, PBS, BBC and The Guardian report that visual evidence shows Pretti holding a phone, not a weapon, at points and that claims he brandished and fired a gun are uncorroborated by the footage available to reporters ^{[7] [8] [9]}. Multiple outlets note that administration statements were issued before the scene was cleared and before independent investigators had access, raising concerns about premature conclusions ^{[4] [8]}.

5. Legal and investigative status — what is and isn’t established

Federal and state investigations and court actions are unfolding: a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order barring the Department of Homeland Security from altering or destroying evidence related to the shooting, and state officials have demanded preservation and access for inquiries even as DHS has asserted federal control over the scene ^{[2] [10]}. Reporting makes clear who fired the shots — federal Border Patrol agents — but does not settle legal questions of justification, criminal liability, or administrative discipline, which remain subject to ongoing review and possible prosecution ^{[3] [10]}.

6. Competing narratives and the wider context

The shooting intensified a political and media tug-of-war: progressive outlets and local witnesses portray Pretti as a nonviolent observer and critic of immigration sweeps, while conservative outlets and some DHS allies emphasize activist networks at protests and argue the operation was targeted at public-safety threats ^{[9] [11]}. Coverage from The Guardian, PBS and The New York Times highlights discrepancies between video evidence and official statements, whereas Fox News and other conservative outlets have pushed narratives about organized agitators and preexisting mobilization at the scene ^{[9] [11] [8]}.