A Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, according to federal and local officials, further escalating tensions within Minnesota following the fatal shooting of activist Renee Good and the recent detainment of school children in the region, including the apprehension of a 5-year-old.
State officials and family members identified the man as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse and Minneapolis resident, who participated in protests against the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) massive immigration crackdown in the region.
“He cared about people deeply, and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset,” his father, Michael Pretti, told The Associated Press. “He felt that doing the protesting was a way to express that, you know, his care for others."
After the incident, a large group of demonstrators gathered and collided with ICE agents who carried batons and utilized flash bangs.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin expressed in a statement that federal agents were conducting a targeted immigration operation when they were approached by a man with a handgun and fired “defensive shots” after the man “violently resisted” officers’ attempts to disarm him.
A bystander video of the altercation posted on social media appears to contradict DHS’s report of the incident, showing Pretti with a phone in hand, yet no visible weapon.
In a press conference, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claimed that Pretti confronted agents to “impede a law enforcement operation.” Secretary Noem did not confirm whether he pulled out the weapon towards the officers, while also questioning why Pretti was armed.
“I don’t know of any peaceful protester that shows up with a gun and ammunition rather than a sign,” Secretary Noem said.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said that local law enforcement believe Pretti was a “lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.”
