The shooting of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, ratcheted up tensions, as protesters clashed in the streets with law enforcement in the aftermath of the shooting.
The incident followed the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, on Jan. 7.
The shooting of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, ratcheted up tensions, as protesters clashed in the streets with law enforcement in the aftermath of the shooting.
Mamdani: Ongoing immigration enforcement in Minneapolis is 'horrific'
One day before the second U.S. citizen in less than a month was fatally shot by a federal agent deployed to Minneapolis, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani sharply criticized the ongoing federal immigration enforcement operation as "horrific."
"It is horrific, what we have seen there, and I think that there are too many Americans who are being asked to not believe their own eyes, not believe their own ears, not believe their own realities," Mamdani told ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl in an interview that aired Sunday.
Republican Sen. Tillis demands 'impartial investigation' of fatal shooting
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is demanding a "thorough and impartial investigation" of Saturday's fatal shooting of a nurse in Minneapolis by a federal agent.
In a social media post, Tillis of North Carolina, said an impartial investigation of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, 37, is "the basic standard that law enforcement and the American people expect following any officer-involved shooting."
"For this specific incident, that requires cooperation and transparency between federal, state, and local law enforcement," Tillis said. "Any administration official who rushes to judgment and tries to shut down an investigation before it begins are doing an incredible disservice to the nation and to President Trump's legacy."
-ABC News' Chris Donovan
Jan 25, 2026, 5:31 PM GMT
Witness disputes DHS account of shooting: court filing
A witness to Saturday's fatal shooting by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer in Minneapolis of 37-year-old Alex Pretti said in a court declaration that Pretti was attempting to help a woman who was pushed to the ground by federal agents before he was shot.
The witness -- whose name was redacted in court documents filed by the ACLU as part of an emergency appeal to halt federal agents' conduct in Minneapolis -- said a CBP agent pepper-sprayed three observers, including Pretti, before the woman was shoved to the ground.
"The ICE agents just kept spraying," the witness said, according to the court declaration. "More agents came over and grabbed the man who was still trying to help the woman get up."
The witness said that agents pushed Pretti to the ground, adding, "It didn't look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up," according to the filing.
The Department of Homeland Security claims Pretti approached officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and when officers attempted to disarm him, he "violently resisted."
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a license to carry a concealed weapon.
"I have read the statement from DHS about what happened and it is wrong," the witness said, according to the declaration. "The man did not approach the agents with a gun. He approached them with a camera. He was just trying to help a woman get up and they took him to the ground."
-ABC News' Luke Barr
Jan 25, 2026, 5:31 PM GMT
What we know about Alex Pretti
More information is emerging about Alex Pretti, the man who was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis.
The 37-year-old worked for the Minneapolis VA Health Care System as an ICU nurse, according to AFGE Professional Local 3669, which represents professional employees affiliated with the Minneapolis VA Health Care System.
"(A) member of our union lost their life today, and that alone is devastating. Our hearts are heavy, and we are deeply stricken by this tragedy that has befallen one of our own," the union said.
This undated photo provided by Michael Pretti shows Alex J. Pretti, the man who was shot by a federal officer in Minneapolis on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026.
The Department of Homeland Security alleged that Pretti approached border patrol agents with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, and "violently resisted" when agents tried to disarm him. Local officials disputed that characterization.
Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino declined to give more details about the confrontation, claiming, "This situation is evolving. The investigation is ongoing. Those facts will come to light."
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, however, questioned the claims and admonished the federal government for a rush to judgment without spending more time gathering evidence.
Multiple videos of the confrontation showed federal agents spraying Pretti with a substance and pinning him to the ground before the shooting.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said that Pretti was a legal gun owner and did not have a criminal record.
Minnesota's gun laws permit open carrying a handgun as long as the gun owner has a valid permit.
