SUNTV Global Channel | January 25, 2026
Another United States citizen has been killed during a federal immigration operation in Minneapolis, deepening national outrage over President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration crackdown and the growing militarisation of enforcement actions in major cities.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed on Saturday that the victim, a 37-year-old man, died in hospital after suffering multiple gunshot wounds. The man was later identified by his family as Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse and longtime Minneapolis resident. Authorities confirmed he was a US citizen.
The fatal shooting comes amid a weeks-long deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Border Patrol agents, and other federal officers to Minneapolis, where aggressive raids have triggered daily protests and rising political tension.
Minnesota has already been on edge following the January 7 killing of Renee Good, another 37-year-old resident who was shot after an ICE officer fired into her vehicle. Last week, a Venezuelan national was also shot by US security operatives in a separate incident in the city.
Reacting to Pretti’s death, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz sharply criticised the federal operation, describing it as a violent campaign rather than lawful enforcement.
“This long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement,” Walz said at a news conference in Saint Paul. “It is a campaign of organised brutality against the people of our state. And today, that campaign claimed another life.”
Walz announced that Minnesota authorities would take charge of the investigation into the killing.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offered a different account, stating that a Border Patrol agent fired “defensive shots” after a man armed with a handgun approached officers and violently resisted attempts to disarm him. DHS said the agent involved is an eight-year veteran of the Border Patrol.
President Donald Trump weighed in on social media, attacking Governor Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Posting images of a handgun federal agents said was recovered at the scene, Trump questioned why local police were not protecting ICE officers and accused state and city leaders of “inciting insurrection with dangerous and arrogant rhetoric.”
However, bystander videos circulating online appear to contradict the federal narrative.
In several clips, Pretti is seen standing in the street filming federal agents with his mobile phone. An officer is seen deploying pepper spray toward Pretti and nearby protesters. As he attempts to shield himself and assist others, multiple agents tackle him to the ground and strike him repeatedly.
Moments later, while Pretti is pinned down, an officer draws a firearm and multiple shots are fired. His body is later seen lying motionless in the street.
Open-source investigations group Bellingcat said its review of the footage suggests that a firearm was removed from Pretti before shots were fired.
“Two different agents are visibly firing their weapons, with at least ten shots heard,” Bellingcat said. “Most of the shots occur after a delay, when the man is already lying motionless on the ground.”
Police Chief O’Hara said investigators believe Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a valid permit to carry, noting that Minnesota law allows open carry for permit holders.
In a strongly worded statement, Pretti’s family described him as compassionate and dedicated to saving lives through his work as a nurse, while rejecting claims made by federal officials.
“The lies told about our son are reprehensible,” the family said. “Alex was not holding a gun. He had his phone in his right hand, his left hand raised, trying to protect others while being pepper-sprayed. He was attacked and killed in cold blood.”
Pretti’s death has intensified calls from civil rights groups, state officials, and community leaders for the immediate withdrawal of heavily armed federal agents from Minneapolis, as protests continue to sweep the city.
SUNTV Global Channel will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as investigations into the killing progress.
