By Ellie Cook and Daniel Orton
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Several videos of the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday raise questions and cast doubt on the sequence of events put forward by U.S. government officials.
Pretti, an intensive care nurse and U.S. citizen, is the second person to be shot dead by a federal immigration agent in the Minnesota city this month as President Donald Trump and his administration forge on with an immigration crackdown that has sparked widespread backlash.
Newsweek has watched videos recorded by bystanders close to the encounter, while others show the scene from across the street or a little way down the sidewalk, to piece together the actions of those involved before and after the shooting.
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Before the Shooting
U.S. Border Patrol agents were conducting what Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino described as a "targeted operation" near East 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in south Minneapolis around 9 a.m. CT on January 24.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Pretti "approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun."
Videos show Pretti standing in the middle of the road and holding up a cellphone to record federal agents as whistles blare in the background. Dressed in light brown trousers and slightly darker coat, he briefly gestures to direct an approaching, dark-colored vehicle.
A video filmed from the dashboard of an unknown vehicle also looks to show a federal agent pushing Pretti backward during the interaction. Multiple videos show a phone is in his hand, but clips do not appear to show a gun.
Video shows at least one agent shoving a woman, seen in the screenshot on the left below, then Pretti moves toward that person and others in the street. The agent shoves another person, seen in the screenshot on the right below, with Pretti intervening.
Seconds later, the agent directs and uses a chemical spray toward Pretti. He is then tackled to the ground and several more agents converge toward Pretti. At least one agent appears to hit Pretti, and a video filmed from the road captures an eyewitness shouting: "They are hitting that observer. They are kicking them in the face."
"The agents attempted to disarm the individual, but he violently resisted," Bovino said in a press conference, a sentiment echoed by Noem and DHS statements.
During the struggle, an agent in a gray jacket and cap is seen to approach the group empty-handed, and then leaves the scrum with a gun in his hand. This man and his movements are filmed from multiple angles.
Before the agent in the gray jacket and cap has walked away, an agent in a green jacket and black balaclava can be seen from another angle unholstering a gun, but it is not clear if he is the first to fire.
"I believe it's highly likely the first shot was a negligent discharge from the agent in the gray jacket," said Rob Doar, an attorney and president of the Minnesota Gun Owners Law Center, who analyzed videos from the shooting in a series of X posts.
The Shooting of Alex Pretti
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said in a press conference on Saturday that his department got reports of a shooting at "approximately 9:03 a.m."
In one video, at least four gunshots can be heard as Pretti falls to the ground. Several more ring out as he lies unmoving on the ground.
At least 10 gunshots are audible on another recording. In multiple clips, bystanders can be heard swearing and exclaiming in shock.
DHS officials said the federal agent who shot Pretti feared for his life and fired "defensive shots."
At least two videos appear to show the agent in the black balaclava pointing his gun at Pretti, and another clip appears to show an agent wearing a brown hat and brown rucksack also pointing a gun at Pretti.
The Immediate Aftermath of the Shooting
Video shows agents initially backing away from Pretti as he lies motionless, and then some agents appear to attempt first aid or CPR while bystanders scream for medical help. DHS said, "Medics on scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject but was pronounced dead at the scene."
Over 100 people gathered at the shooting site immediately after the incident to protest, chanting and confronting federal agents. Tear gas and stun grenades were reportedly deployed against demonstrators.
What Did Officials Say?
O'Hara told reporters that Pretti had a legal permit to carry a gun.
Bovino said Pretti was carrying two loaded magazines and did not have easily accessible identification. A DHS statement said, "this looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."
Noem did not say whether Pretti was brandishing his gun at the time, only saying he was "armed." Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker he did not know whether Pretti was disarmed before being fatally shot and said "nobody else knows, either."
Noem said Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz "need to take a long, hard look in the mirror."
Frey said on Saturday "the chaos that we are seeing is caused directly by ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], border control and this federal administration."
Minnesota Democratic Representative Kelly Morrison, added: "We are once again now being asked to deny what we saw with our own eyes."
"I've seen the videos, from several angles, and it's sickening," Walz said, accusing the administration's of inventing "nonsense" and "lies."
Pretti's parents said in a statement they were "heartbroken but also very angry," adding: "The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting."
"Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs," Michael and Susan Pretti said.
What Happens Next
Minnesota officials have filed a lawsuit and for a temporary restraining order to stop Trump officials "destroying or altering evidence" relating to the fatal shooting.
Walz said on Saturday the state's justice system "must have the last word," adding: "As I told the White House in no uncertain terms this morning, the federal government cannot be trusted to lead this investigation."
He called on Trump to "remove" federal immigration enforcement agents from the state, saying their presence was "sowing chaos and violence."
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel told Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures the agency was looking at "physical evidence" from the scene.
Update 1/26/2026 at 11:30 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional comment.
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