Federal Agents Kill Another Person in Minneapolis Immigration Crackdown

A man was shot and killed by an immigration agent in Minneapolis on Saturday morning, the second fatal shooting in just over two weeks by federal authorities in the city.

The incident follows the Jan. 7 killing of Minneapolis woman Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, by a federal agent, and comes a just a day after mass protests in the city calling for an end to the surge of immigration agents across the state.

The victim was named as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse and resident of the city.

Videos of the shooting, which took place at around 9 am, show Pretti attempting to assist a woman who had been pushed to the ground by an immigration agent, when the agent pepper-sprays both of them. A group of around seven Border Patrol officers then tackles Pretti to the ground as he is disoriented. A shot rings out, then several more in quick succession. At least 10 shots were fired in around five seconds, including several as Pretti lay motionless on the ground.

Read more: Minnesotans Shutter Businesses and Call Off Work in Economic Blackout Day to Protest ICE

President Donald Trump responded to the shooting in a lengthy post on Truth Social that called immigration agents "patriots" and claimed they were in Minneapolis because of "massive Monetary Fraud" and "Illegal Criminals that were allowed to infiltrate the State."

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at a press conference on Saturday afternoon that Pretti had not been in trouble with the police before.

"The only interaction that we are aware of with law enforcement has been for traffic tickets and we believe he is a lawfully gun owner with a permit to carry," O’Hara said.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement that it was carrying out a "targeted operation" when an individual approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, pictures of which it shared with the media. It said officers attempted to disarm the man, but he "violently resisted."

"Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots. Medics on scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject but was pronounced dead at the scene," the statement continued. It added: "[T]his looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."

But several videos showing the lead-up to the fatal shooting contradict that account. They show Pretti filming a group of Border Patrol officers with his phone in his right hand, with his left hand empty. An agent then pushes a woman protester to the ground. When Pretti attempts to help the woman up, the agent pepper-sprays Pretti in the face and, together with several other officers, drags him to the ground. That is when the fatal shooting occurs.

Read more: Fatal ICE Shooting Sparks Scrutiny of Killings in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

The incident is the latest in a series of shootings in which the DHS claims the victim was threatening the life of an agent, only for video evidence to later contradict the claim. After the shooting of Renee Good, the DHS accused her of “attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism,” only for video evidence to show her turning her car away, and the agent positioned to the side of her vehicle when he fired the fatal shot.

Saturday's shooting prompted a wave of anger from local politicians, many of whom have been calling for the Trump Administration to bring an end to its immigration surge following weeks of violent encounters with Minnesotans, including the use of pepper spray and the arrest of peaceful protesters.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz described the shooting as "sickening" and called on President Trump to end his immigration crackdown in the state.