Alex Pretti, A 37-year-old Intensive Care Nurse And U.S

Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse and U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026, during a large federal enforcement operation. The incident occurred when Pretti was among protesters and bystanders observing agents conducting immigration arrests. Federal authorities said Pretti posed a threat with a handgun, but multiple videos contradict that claim and show he was disarmed before being shot.
A CNN analysis of available bystander and surveillance videos found that the actions of two federal agents were key in transforming what had been a tense encounter into a deadly confrontation:
Video shows the agents pepper-spraying Pretti and striking him in the face and head early in the confrontation, even as he was not posing a violent threat. After seizing his weapon and with Pretti unarmed and on the ground, those same agents drew their firearms and fired multiple shots at him. Some of the firing continued after Pretti had already fallen and was incapacitated.
Experts who reviewed the footage told CNN that these actions rather than defusing the situation escalated the encounter in a way that made the outcome deadly. At the outset, other agents were present trying to restrain Pretti and others, but two agents took aggressive actions including pepper spraying Pretti multiple times.
The agents then pulled firearms and fired on Pretti after he was subdued and no longer posed a discernible threat, according to the .
Law enforcement and use-of-force experts interviewed proper training emphasizes de-escalation techniques such as communication and methods designed to calm heightened interactions but these were not evident in the videos.
The analysis also highlights that while Pretti was legally licensed to carry a handgun, the weapon was seized from him before shots were fired, and there was no clear sign he was reaching for it as agents opened fire. Pretti’s death has intensified national scrutiny of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations, especially in Minneapolis, where a surge of federal agents was deployed. The situation has sparked protests, political backlash, and demands for full investigations into use-of-force protocols.
Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama called Pretti’s killing a “tragedy” and urged a comprehensive inquiry into enforce A federal notice to Congress confirmed that two agents discharged their weapons during the encounter that resulted in Pretti’s death. These agents have been placed on administrative leave as part of the ongoing federal review.
Civil liberties advocates, local leaders and Pretti’s supporters are demanding transparency around training and accountability for agents who fired, arguing that the videos show an unnecessary and excessive use of lethal force. Pretti’s death has become a flashpoint in national debates over federal law-enforcement tactics, civil rights and the limits of federal authority in domestic policing especially when confronting demonstrators or civilians recording government operations.