Last Updated on January 25, 2026 11:46 am by INDIAN AWAAZ
Videos analyzed by The New York Times appear to contradict federal accounts of the shooting. The man, an I.C.U. nurse, was an American citizen with no criminal record, the city police chief said.
Despite freezing temperatures, at least 1,000 people attended a vigil for Mr. Pretti at Whittier Park on Saturday night, underscoring the depth of public outrage.
AMN / WEB DESK
Federal authorities in the United States have come under intense scrutiny following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident by Border Patrol agents, an incident that has reignited protests and public anger over the use of force by federal law enforcement.
According to The New York Times, federal officials initially described the victim, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, as a potential domestic terrorist who intended to “massacre” law enforcement officers. However, video footage verified and analysed by the newspaper appears to contradict key elements of that official narrative.
Mr. Pretti, an intensive-care nurse and a U.S. citizen, had no criminal record, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said. He was legally permitted to carry a firearm under Minnesota law. The police chief confirmed that Mr. Pretti possessed a valid gun permit.
The New York Times reported that while federal officials claimed Mr. Pretti was armed, videos show no evidence that he drew his weapon or threatened agents. The footage indicates that agents were not aware he had a gun until he was already restrained on the sidewalk. At that point, one agent removed the firearm from his possession.
Despite this, two other agents opened fire, shooting Mr. Pretti multiple times, including in the back and while he lay on the ground. At least ten shots were fired, resulting in his death, the report said.
The incident occurred early Saturday morning in Minneapolis’s Whittier neighbourhood and quickly triggered protests in a city already on edge after weeks of aggressive federal immigration enforcement. Demonstrators gathered at the scene, demanding that local police arrest the agents involved in the shooting.
Federal agents responded by deploying tear gas and flash-bang grenades to disperse the crowd. While officials later said the protests were largely peaceful, the Minnesota National Guard was deployed by evening as a precaution against potential violence.
Despite freezing temperatures, at least 1,000 people attended a vigil for Mr. Pretti at Whittier Park on Saturday night, underscoring the depth of public outrage.
Colleagues described Mr. Pretti as a dedicated healthcare worker. Dimitri Drekonja, who worked with him at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Minneapolis, told reporters, “He was a really great colleague and a really great friend. The default look on his face was a smile.”
In its video analysis, The New York Times said footage shows Mr. Pretti stepping between a woman and a federal agent who was pepper-spraying her. Mr. Pretti himself was then pepper-sprayed while holding a mobile phone in one hand, with his other hand empty. His firearm remained concealed throughout the initial confrontation.