The chilling death of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who dedicated his life to saving others, has ignited a firestorm of outrage across the United States. On January 24, 2026, in broad daylight on the streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Pretti was shot multiple times—reports indicate up to ten rounds—by agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including Border Patrol personnel operating under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). What began as a protest against aggressive ICE raids targeting undocumented immigrants quickly spiraled into a deadly confrontation that has exposed deep fissures in America’s immigration enforcement, the limits of protest rights, and the use of lethal force by federal officers.

Pretti, an employee of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), spent his career in the ICU treating critically ill military veterans—men and women who had served their country in uniform. Colleagues described him as compassionate, dedicated, and unflinching in the face of life-and-death decisions. Yet on that fateful Saturday morning, this same man—armed with a legally owned firearm but never shown to have brandished it—was wrestled to the ground, disarmed, and fatally shot in an encounter that bystander videos appear to contradict initial federal accounts.

The incident unfolded amid President Donald Trump’s renewed push for mass deportations and intensified ICE operations, dubbed by some as “Operation Metro Surge.” Just weeks earlier, on January 7, 2026, another U.S. citizen, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, was shot and killed by an ICE agent in the same city during similar enforcement actions. The two deaths, both involving American citizens protesting federal immigration tactics, have fueled accusations of overreach, racial profiling concerns (though both victims were white), and a pattern of excessive force.

Newly emerged video footage has only intensified the scrutiny. Eleven days before his death, on January 11 (or around January 13 in some reports), Pretti was captured on camera during another anti-ICE demonstration. The clip, verified by BBC facial recognition and confirmed by Pretti’s family lawyers, shows a man matching his description—balding, wearing a brown outfit—spitting at a federal Ford Expedition SUV, shouting profanities like “F*****g trash,” kicking the vehicle hard enough to shatter its tail light, and engaging in a physical scuffle with officers. Tear gas and pepper balls were deployed; officers tackled him, but remarkably, no arrest was made despite property damage and apparent assault. Pretti, visibly carrying a firearm in his waistband, eventually gathered his belongings and walked away.

Sources close to the investigation suggest Pretti may have suffered a broken rib during that earlier confrontation when multiple federal officers tackled him while he protested their pursuit of a family. Medical records reviewed by outlets like CNN showed treatment consistent with such an injury. Federal authorities have denied having any record of the incident, raising questions about whether Pretti was already on some informal watchlist as an “agitator.”

Fast-forward to January 24. Protests erupted again in south Minneapolis as ICE and Border Patrol agents conducted raids. Pretti joined the demonstrators. Bystander videos—multiple angles circulating on social media and verified by major news organizations—paint a harrowing picture. Pretti is seen holding a cellphone, not a weapon, as agents approach. A masked Border Patrol officer shoves him; several agents pile on, wrestling him to the ground. One removes a 9mm semi-automatic handgun from Pretti’s waistband holster. Shouts of “Gun!” ring out. Then, shots are fired—first one, a brief pause, then a rapid barrage into Pretti’s body. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A preliminary DHS report sent to Congress confirmed that two federal agents—a Border Patrol officer and a CBP official—fired their Glock pistols, totaling around ten rounds in seconds. Notably absent from the report: any mention of Pretti reaching for or brandishing his weapon. This directly contradicts early statements from administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who portrayed Pretti as a “domestic terrorist” who “approached” officers with intent to kill law enforcement and “inflict maximum damage.”

President Trump himself called for a full investigation while initially backing the agents’ actions. Yet public reaction has been swift and bipartisan. A Daily Mail/JL Partners poll of 1,000 voters found 54% believed federal law enforcement “murdered” Pretti, with only 21% viewing the shooting as justified. Even 22% of Republicans agreed it constituted murder. Protests swelled in Minneapolis, with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz activating the National Guard and demanding federal agents withdraw. Calls grew for DHS Secretary Noem’s removal, and figures from Jimmy Kimmel to lawmakers decried the incident as “vile” and “heartless.”

Pretti’s family and attorney Steve Schleicher, a former federal prosecutor known for the Derek Chauvin case, have been vocal. “A week before Alex was gunned down in the street—despite posing no threat to anyone—he was violently assaulted by a group of ICE agents,” Schleicher stated. “Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex’s killing at the hands of ICE on Jan 24.” Friends remembered him as a “good, kind” man who stood up for the vulnerable, a nurse who showed up for his community in brutal cold.

In the aftermath, the two agents involved were placed on administrative leave—standard protocol, officials stressed—provided mental health support, and reassigned to desk duties. A senior Border Patrol commander departed Minneapolis amid mounting pressure. Body camera footage is under review, preserved for decades, but public videos continue to dominate the narrative, with forensic analysts questioning whether Pretti ever posed an imminent threat.\

The broader context is explosive. Trump’s immigration crackdown has seen federal agents deployed in urban areas like never before, detaining undocumented migrants but also ensnaring citizens in confrontations. Target stores in Minnesota reported staff skipping shifts after ICE detentions. Minnesota Timberwolves and other sports events held moments of silence. The debate has expanded to Second Amendment rights: Can legally armed citizens attend protests? Experts note open carry is permitted in Minnesota, but physical resistance changes the calculus.

Yet the videos raise uncomfortable questions. Use-of-force specialists interviewed by outlets like PBS and the Associated Press argue the footage undermines claims of defensive shooting. Pretti’s hands appear occupied with a phone before the takedown; no clear reach for his holster until agents intervened. Comparisons to past high-profile cases—George Floyd in the same city—have resurfaced, though contexts differ.

Pretti’s parents shared their last conversation with him days before, a mundane chat now heartbreaking in hindsight. They described a son passionate about justice, never imagining it would cost his life.

As investigations continue, the nation grapples with fundamental issues: When does protest cross into threat? How much force is justified against citizens challenging federal power? And in an era of instant video evidence, can official narratives withstand scrutiny?

Alex Pretti’s death is more than a single tragedy. It has become a flashpoint, exposing raw tensions over immigration, law enforcement accountability, and the right to dissent. For a nurse who healed veterans, his final moments have wounded the nation’s conscience, leaving Americans to ask: Was this justice, or execution in the streets?