How did the guy from Minnesota ice die
Executive summary
Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Minnesota man, was shot and killed during an encounter with federal immigration agents (ICE) in Minneapolis as part of a larger federal operation; eyewitness video appears to capture the shooting and his death has sparked widespread protest and demands for independent investigation [1] [2]. Authorities and some federal officials have framed the incident as an act of self‑defense by agents, while family, local officials and journalists point to footage and contemporaneous reporting that indicate Pretti was holding a phone — not a firearm — at the time he was shot [3] [4] [5].
1. The immediate sequence reported: a confrontation during an ICE operation and a fatal shooting
Video and multiple news organizations report that the shooting occurred during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis when federal agents engaged with civilians and an individual, later identified as Alex Pretti, was shot and killed; eyewitness footage that has circulated appears to show the moment he is shot [1] [2]. Local reporting and federal statements indicate this took place amid heightened tensions around what the administration described as a surge of ICE activity in the city [2].
2. What witnesses and major outlets say about what Pretti was holding
Reporting by The New York Times and local outlets states that Pretti was holding a phone — not a gun — in his hand at the time of the shooting, contradicting some official claims that he posed an imminent deadly threat with a weapon [4]. Family members and acquaintances also told reporters he owned a handgun and had a permit to carry, but video analysis and eyewitness accounts emphasized the visible object in his hand during the moment of the shooting was a phone [5] [4].
3. Official claims, legal moves and the contested narrative
Federal officials and some national figures initially framed the shooting as agents acting in self‑defense and alleged Pretti attempted to use a vehicle or otherwise threatened officers, while local leaders, advocates and some eyewitnesses have disputed that account and pushed for evidence preservation and an independent probe [6] [3] [2]. A Minnesota judge ordered federal agencies to preserve evidence related to the killing after state officials sued, saying they were being blocked from investigating — an indication of the legal friction surrounding access to the scene and materials [3].
4. Public reaction, protests and institutional responses
Pretti’s death added to a wave of protests and legal actions across Minnesota and beyond, including calls from city and state officials to curb or remove federal immigration enforcement activity in Minneapolis, along with statewide scrutiny of agency tactics and federal cooperation with local investigators [2] [4]. Media coverage documents that the shooting intensified already high public tensions over ICE operations, prompting marches and renewed litigation by cities and the state challenging the federal deployment [2] [4].
5. What remains unproven in available reporting and why it matters
Open questions remain in public reporting: the full forensic and ballistic record, autopsy details specific to Pretti beyond media summaries, and a final determinate legal finding about whether the shooting was justified are not yet available in the cited sources; investigations and evidence preservation orders are ongoing or contested, which limits definitive public conclusions at this time [3] [2]. The divergent accounts — agent self‑defense claims versus video and eyewitness assertions that Pretti held a phone — underscore why independent access to body‑cam footage, agent statements, and forensic reports is central to resolving how he died [1] [4].