A explosive new leak has ignited fresh fury in the high-profile death of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old Minneapolis ICU nurse fatally shot by federal agents during a chaotic immigration enforcement clash: shocking video footage has surfaced showing Pretti smashing the taillight—and possibly the headlight—of a federal agent’s SUV in a prior confrontation just 11 days before his killing, proving a heated history of aggression between him and immigration officers.

The grainy but damning clip, captured on January 13, 2026, by reporters from The News Movement and now authenticated by BBC facial recognition technology (with a staggering 97% match), captures a man matching Pretti’s description—same coat, facial hair, build, and gait—unleashing his rage on a black Ford SUV belonging to immigration agents. As the vehicles begin pulling away from a protest scene in Minneapolis, Pretti is seen yelling obscenities, spitting on the vehicle, and then delivering a vicious kick that shatters the rear taillight, leaving it dangling by wires. The agents slam on the brakes, pile out, and tackle him to the ground in a brutal takedown—yet, astonishingly, they eventually release him without arrest, even as tear gas and pepper balls fly into the crowd.

This leaked video shatters the narrative pushed by some that Pretti was merely an innocent bystander or peaceful observer on the day he died, January 24. Instead, it reveals a pattern: Pretti had already clashed violently with federal agents just over a week earlier, reportedly suffering a broken rib when officers tackled him during another immigration raid protest. Sources close to the investigation say Pretti had been “itching for confrontation,” stalking and harassing agents amid escalating tensions over the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

Fast-forward to January 24: Pretti again inserted himself into a street skirmish as Border Patrol and ICE agents conducted operations. Bystander videos—synchronized by major outlets like The New York Times—show Pretti stepping in to protect a woman being shoved by officers, filming on his phone, getting pepper-sprayed, and then wrestled to the ground by at least six agents. Amid the struggle, shouts of “He’s got a gun!” ring out. Seconds later, one Border Patrol agent and a CBP officer unleash a barrage of at least 10 shots, killing Pretti on the spot. DHS initially claimed he “brandished” a weapon and committed “domestic terrorism,” but multiple analyses of bystander footage contradict that—he appears to hold only a phone before being pinned face-down, with the retrieved firearm coming from his waistband during the takedown.

The leaked January 13 video adds explosive context, fueling accusations that agents may have recognized Pretti from the prior incident—where he damaged government property and resisted—potentially escalating the January 24 encounter. Pretti’s family and advocates scream foul play: “This proves he was targeted,” a relative told reporters. “He was assaulted violently before, broke his rib, and walked away. Then they come back and execute him?” The video’s emergence has intensified calls for a full independent probe, with bipartisan outrage growing—Republican lawmakers like Sen. Jerry Moran and Rep. Thomas Massie questioning the use of lethal force, while Democrats demand accountability amid the administration’s immigration surge.

Two agents involved in the fatal shooting have been placed on administrative leave, and an internal CBP review—leaked to congressional sources—makes no mention of Pretti attacking first or threatening with a weapon in its preliminary assessment. Instead, it describes women blowing whistles confronting agents, Pretti rushing in after one is pushed, and the rapid escalation to gunfire. Pretti, a dedicated ICU nurse described by neighbors as warmhearted and community-minded, carried a legal firearm for protection in a volatile city—but witnesses insist he never drew it aggressively.

The fallout is massive: Protests rage in Minneapolis, vigils honor Pretti’s memory, and a GoFundMe for his family has surged past $1.7 million. President Trump weighed in, calling the incident “very unfortunate” and questioning Pretti’s decision to carry a gun. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem doubled down early, labeling it “domestic terrorism,” but mounting video evidence—including the new leak—has forced retreats and leadership shakeups in Minnesota immigration ops.

As investigations multiply—DHS body-cam footage under review, congressional scrutiny intensifying—the leaked video stands as a smoking gun: proof of bad blood, property destruction, and a man unafraid to physically challenge federal power. Was January 24 revenge? Escalation from prior trauma? Or justified self-defense in a split-second threat? The taillight shards on that Minneapolis street now symbolize a deeper fracture—between aggressive enforcement and citizens pushed to the brink.

Pretti’s supporters demand justice: “He wasn’t a terrorist—he was a nurse trying to protect people from what he saw as bullying.” With agents on leave and the nation watching every frame, this leaked confrontation may rewrite the entire deadly saga.