A federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis escalated into a fatal confrontation on Saturday, resulting in the death of 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a white male U.S. citizen and lawful gun owner with no criminal record. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers opened fire during what the Department of Homeland Security described as a self-defense response to an armed individual who “violently resisted” apprehension.
This incident represents the second civilian fatality involving ICE officers in Minneapolis within three weeks, following the recent killing of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three. The operation has also drawn criticism for the detention of a five-year-old boy alongside his father earlier this week, further inflaming public sentiment.
Open-source investigative group Bellingcat conducted a detailed analysis of social media footage circulating from the incident. Their examination revealed that agents appeared to remove a firearm from Pretti before the first shot was fired. The analysis further indicated that two different agents discharged their weapons, with at least ten shots heard in total, most occurring while the man lay motionless on the snow-covered street.
The shooting has triggered widespread outrage and protests across Minneapolis, with state officials demanding accountability. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz characterized the shooting as “horrific” and called for state authorities to lead the investigation, asserting that the federal government “cannot be trusted” with the probe. In a social media post, Governor Walz directly appealed to President Donald Trump to “pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the federal operation, stating that “a great American city is being invaded by its own federal government.” Representative Ilhan Omar described the shooting as “an execution” and accused President Trump of transforming Minneapolis into a “war zone.” The incident occurs amid the Trump administration’s intensified nationwide campaign to detain and deport undocumented migrants, which has deployed thousands of ICE agents to the Minneapolis area.