Wider World

Minnesota Shooting Raises Fresh Questions Over Federal Immigration Operations

Conflicting official accounts and bystander video have fuelled protests, political demands and calls for an independent investigation after the killing of ICU nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti in Minneapolis.

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Photo: ABC7 News

POLITIS NEWS

Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, a Minneapolis resident and intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, was shot and killed during an encounter involving federal immigration enforcement personnel in south Minneapolis, near the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue.

The incident came amid a heightened federal immigration enforcement operation in the city and followed another fatal shooting earlier this month that had already inflamed tensions.

What officials say, and what video shows

The US Department of Homeland Security has said a federal officer fired in self-defence after Pretti “approached” officers armed and resisted, an account echoed in multiple reports summarising the department’s position.

Pretti’s family and multiple news organisations reporting from the scene have disputed that version, pointing to bystander video that appears to show him holding a phone as he is confronted, sprayed and taken to the ground, with the family rejecting official characterisations of the encounter.

Public order response and investigation status

After the shooting, crowds gathered near the scene and clashes were reported, with federal agents using crowd-control measures. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced the activation of the National Guard as the situation escalated.

The case has also triggered a jurisdictional dispute over access to the scene and evidence, with state and local officials saying they faced restrictions in the immediate aftermath.

Who Alex Pretti was

Family members described Pretti as a committed ICU nurse who cared for patients at a VA facility and was deeply distressed by what he saw as a widening immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.

Police have said he was a lawful gun owner, a detail that has featured prominently in official narratives and political debate about what happened in the minutes before he was killed.

Civil society reactions and community response

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called on the Trump administration to end immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, arguing that the scale and tactics of the operation had become intolerable after repeated deadly incidents.

US Senator Amy Klobuchar publicly amplified the family’s demand for what they described as a truthful account of the killing, while other Minnesota lawmakers demanded accountability and raised concerns about federal conduct at the scene.

The shooting has sparked vigils and sustained street mobilisation, including calls from local organisers and demonstrators for federal immigration authorities to leave the city. Protests have errupted across the US.

 

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#USA #ICE #WIDER WORLD #protests

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