Man shot dead by US federal agents in Minneapolis amid immigration crackdown

24 Jan 2026, 16:46 · France 24

Federal immigration agents shot dead a man in Minneapolis on Saturday, officials said – the second fatal shooting of a civilian in the city, sparking fresh protests and outrage from state officials.

The death came less than three weeks after US citizen Renee Good was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer involved in sweeps to round up undocumented migrants.

The Department of Homeland Security insisted its officers acted in self-defense while seeking "an illegal alien wanted for violent assault" in a "targeted operation."

Family members say the man killed by a federal officer in Minneapolis on Saturday was an intensive care nurse at the Veterans Administration who cared deeply about people and was upset by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in his city.

Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, had participated in protests following the killing of Renee Good and was a US citizen, born in Illinois. Like Good, court records showed he had no criminal record and his family said he had never had any interactions with law enforcement beyond a couple of traffic tickets.

The Department of Homeland Security said that the man was shot after he "approached" US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Officials did not specify if Pretti brandished the gun, and it is not visible in bystander video of the shooting obtained by The Associated Press.

Family members said Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Minnesota. They said they had never known him to carry it.

A video circulating on social media – and later confirmed by authorities – show several agents, including at least one wearing a vest marked "POLICE," surrounding a person on the ground and hitting him multiple times. Several gunshots are heard.

"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," DHS said.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey pulled no punches, urging President Donald Trump to end the federal immigration operation, which has sparked sometimes violent demonstrations.

"This is a moment to act like a leader. Put Minneapolis, put America first in this moment – let's achieve peace. Let's end this operation."

Police chief Brian O'Hara said an "incredibly volatile scene" had erupted after the shooting and urged residents to avoid the area.

Officers who declared the protest an unlawful assembly deployed clouds of tear gas as the crowd grew and used dumpsters to make blockades on the road in the busy south Minneapolis neighborhood known for its restaurants.

O'Hara said police believed the victim was a "lawful gun owner with a permit to carry."

Minnesota allows the open carrying of firearms with a permit.

'Horrific shooting'

Earlier, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he had discussed "another horrific shooting by federal agents" with the White House.

"Minnesota has had it. This is sickening," he said on X.

"The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now."

Thousands of ICE agents have been deployed to the Democratic-led city, as Trump presses a sweeping campaign to deport undocumented migrants.

Minneapolis has been rocked by increasingly tense protests since federal agents shot and killed Good, a US citizen, on January 7.

An autopsy concluded that the killing was a homicide, a classification that does not automatically mean a crime was committed.

The officer who fired the shots that killed Good, Jonathan Ross, has neither been suspended nor charged.

The detention of a five-year-old boy this week, as agents sought to arrest his father, rekindled public outrage.

"Donald Trump and all your lieutenants who ordered this ICE surge: watch the horrific video of the killing today. The world is watching," Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said on X.

After the shooting, an angry crowd gathered and screamed profanities at federal officers, calling them “cowards” and telling them to go home. One officer responded mockingly as he walked away, telling them: “Boo hoo.” Agents elsewhere shoved a yelling protester into a car.

The shooting happened a day after thousands of demonstrators protesting the crackdown on immigrants crowded the city’s streets in frigid weather, calling for federal law enforcement to leave.

Trump posted to his Truth Social account after a man was killed by federal officers during an immigration enforcement action in Minneapolis. Trump's statement said:

"The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric! Instead, these sanctimonious political fools should be looking for the Billions of Dollars that has been stolen from the people of Minnesota, and the United States of America. LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB! 12,000 Illegal Alien Criminals, many of them violent, have been arrested and taken out of Minnesota. If they were still there, you would see something far worse than you are witnessing today!””

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)