A federal agent cordons off the area as people gather at the scene of a shooting involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 24, 2026.
Tim Evans | Reuters
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Saturday called on President Donald Trump to end sweeping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the state after a second fatal shooting this month by federal agents in Minneapolis.
“I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning,” Walz wrote in a post on X. “Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”
At a briefing Saturday afternoon, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said authorities had identified the victim as a 37-year-old white male and Minneapolis resident, adding that the man had no known criminal history beyond traffic citations. The man was later identified as ICU nurse Alex Pretti by his parents and the Associated Press.
“The only interaction that we are aware of with law enforcement has been for traffic tickets, and we believe he is a lawful gun owner with a permit,” O’Hara said, though he noted details surrounding the encounter remain under review.
O’Hara said his department has been in touch with the Department of Homeland Security, but that it has not provided specific details around the incident itself.
The latest shooting adds to a tense standoff between Minnesota authorities and federal immigration agents that has persisted for weeks. Earlier this month, an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, during an enforcement action, which triggered widespread protests and accelerated political backlash against the federal operation.
“At 9:05 AM CT, as DHS law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement on X. “An individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, seen here.”
A handgun which the Department of Homeland Security says was recovered from a man who was shot during his arrest, is seen in a location given as Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., in this handout picture released on Jan. 24, 2026.
Homeland Security Via X | Via Reuters
Federal agents attempted to disarm the suspect but the suspect violently resisted, DHS said: “More details on the armed struggle are forthcoming.”
About 200 protestors arrived at the scene, the department said, and “crowd control measures were deployed for the safety of the public and law enforcement.”
Customs and Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino said in a news conference Saturday afternoon that the federal agent involved in the shooting has been with the agency for eight years.
Tear gas clouds during clashes between federal agents and community members at the scene of a shooting involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 24, 2026.
Tim Evans | Reuters
Trump responded to the shooting in a Truth Social post, defending the federal operation and condemning criticism of his immigration enforcement surge.
“This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go – What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?” he wrote. “The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves — Not an easy thing to do!”
In a news conference Saturday evening, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem portrayed Pretti as a man intent on violence against federal agents: “This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.”
When asked if the 37-year-old ever pointed his weapon at federal agents, Noem sidestepped the question and instead asked why an individual would bring a gun to a protest.
But despite Noem’s claims, multiple videos by bystanders and observers at the scene of the shooting published on social media appear to tell a different story. In one video obtained by The Associated Press, protesters can be heard blowing whistles and shouting profanities at agents on Nicollet Avenue.
The video shows an officer shoving a person who is wearing a brown jacket, skirt and black tights and carrying a water bottle. That person reaches out for a man and the two link up, embracing. The man, wearing a brown jacket and black hat, seems to be holding his phone up toward the officer.
The same officer shoves the man in his chest and the two, still embracing, fall back.
The video then shifts to a different part of the street and then comes back to the two individuals unlinking from each other. The video shifts focus again and then shows three officers surrounding the man.
Soon, at least seven officers surround the man. One is on the man’s back, and another, who appears to have a canister in his hand, strikes a blow to the man’s chest. Several officers try to bring the man’s arms behind his back as he appears to resist. As they pull his arms, his face is briefly visible on camera. The officer with the canister strikes the man near his head several times.
A shot rings out, but with officers surrounding the man, it’s not clear from where the shot came. Multiple officers back off of the man after the shot. More shots are heard. Officers back away and the man lies motionless on the street.
In another video, seen by CNBC, it appears a federal officer removes a weapon from the man on the ground before any shots are fired.
The DHS said it is planning to investigate the shooting, rather than the FBI, two sources told MS Now.
In response to a request from Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt, Walz on Saturday afternoon agreed to activate the Minnesota National Guard to support first responders.
“The Minnesota National Guard’s role is to work in support of local law enforcement and emergency responders, providing additional resources. Their presence is meant to help create a secure environment where all Minnesotans can exercise their rights safely, including the right to peacefully protest,” according to the sheriff department’s statement.
Minneapolis officials urged the public to avoid the area and remain calm as local law enforcement and state patrol units arrived to separate protesters from the ICE personnel, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., joined the governor’s call for ICE to end its operations in Minnesota.
“The world is watching. Thousands of citizens stopped and harassed. Local police no longer able to do their work. Kids hiding. Schools closed. Get ICE out of Minnesota NOW,” she said in an X post.
But Trump administration officials placed the blame for the shooting on the armed man.
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller called Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” claiming that he “tried to assassinate federal law enforcement.”
— CNBC’s Terri Cullen and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story is developing. Please refresh for updates.
