According to video footage reviewed by TMD, Pretti stood some distance from federal agents, who had been barred from entering a local donut shop, where they had sought to arrest an illegal immigrant. Pretti was recording with his phone in his left hand while directing passing traffic with his right—and the atmosphere between the agents and observers was heated. In the minutes before the shooting, an agent had pushed Pretti backward out of the street, placing a hand on Pretti’s torso. “Do not touch me,” Pretti shouted. Then, when agents held down a protester before walking her away, Pretti—filming from the side of the street—shouted, “Leave her alone!”
And then the episode escalated. Agents pushed two women who had been interacting with them across the street. As one agent shoved one of the women to the ground, Pretti stepped between her and the agent, then turned around to help her up. A veteran police officer, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivities of his job, told TMD that when Pretti stepped between the woman and the agents, the agents had probable cause to arrest him for obstruction.
Additional agents moved in, pulling Pretti away from the others. Seven masked federal agents surrounded him and forced him to the ground, restraining his arms and legs. One of the agents struck him repeatedly with a pepper spray canister.
“He’s got a gun,” one agent then shouted repeatedly—the first indication in any footage that agents were aware Pretti was armed. Another agent drew his weapon and pointed it at Pretti’s back. An agent in a gray coat crouched down, removed the gun from Pretti’s waistband, and carried it away from the group. Less than a second later, the agent behind Pretti fired. Pretti appeared to have then risen onto his knees before the agent fired three more times. The agent Pretti had stepped in front of then drew his gun and fired. The two officers fired another six rounds at Pretti.
In five seconds, 10 shots were fired.
DHS said that medics on scene “immediately delivered medical aid” to Pretti, but a pediatrician who lived nearby submitted a witness statement in an ACLU lawsuit against DHS that described how “none” of the officers “were performing CPR,” and that only happened once emergency services arrived. When finally allowed to approach Pretti, the doctor found he had been put on his side; rather than providing medical aid, the agents “appeared to be counting his bullet wounds.” When asked if Pretti had a pulse, “they said they did not know.”
White House officials swiftly moved to characterize the incident as a defensive shooting against a dangerous extremist. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, at a Monday briefing, blamed the shooting on “a deliberate and hostile resistance by Democrat leaders in Minnesota for weeks,” accusing Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of “spreading lies about federal law enforcement officers.” And as with the Good shooting, federal law enforcement moved to block state investigative efforts. On Saturday, Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension obtained a search warrant from a state judge to investigate the crime scene, but federal officials refused to honor it and barred Minnesota officers from accessing it. State officials later alleged that federal personnel abandoned the scene hours after the shooting, “allowing the perimeter to collapse and potentially spoiling evidence.” State officials sued the federal government, and District Judge Eric Tostrud issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the Trump administration from “destroying or altering” evidence.
As details about the shooting unfolded, federal officials pointed to Pretti’s firearm possession as an explanation for Border Patrol agents deeming him dangerous. FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News, “You cannot bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines, to any sort of protest that you want. It’s that simple.” U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli tweeted that “[i]f you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you.” The comments drew swift pushback: Such a claim “is dangerous and wrong,” the NRA tweeted back. The lobbying group Gun Owners of America tweeted that the Second Amendment “protects Americans’ right to bear arms while protesting—a right the federal government must not infringe upon,” it said in a statement.
Amid the outcry over the shooting, a number of Republican officials who have largely supported the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts are pushing for a broad investigation into Pretti’s shooting. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino of New York sought testimony from leaders at ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and Citizenship and Immigration Services. Sen. Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania tweeted that “we need a full investigation into the tragedy in Minneapolis.” Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, who led the House Homeland Security Committee during Trump’s first term, said he was “deeply troubled by the events that have unfolded in Minneapolis” and that “a thorough investigation is necessary—both to get to the bottom of these incidents and to maintain Americans’ confidence in our justice system.” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the federal government should “recalibrate” its approach to immigration operations. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said on his podcast that the administration should be “more measured” in describing the killing.
And the president himself showed signs of distancing himself from the original narrative of the killing. A source told CNN that Trump spent hours Sunday and Monday watching news coverage of the shooting, unimpressed with Noem and Bovino. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal on Sunday, Trump wouldn’t say whether he thought the agent had acted correctly or incorrectly, but said his administration is “reviewing everything and will come out with a determination.” Leavitt also distanced Trump from Noem’s and Miller’s characterizations, saying the president wants to “let the facts lead” the investigation. “Nobody in the White House, including President Trump, wants to see people getting hurt or killed in America’s streets,” she said.
By Monday evening, Trump had posted on Truth Social that he had spoken with Mayor Frey, who said the president “agreed the present situation cannot continue,” and had a “very good call” with Gov. Tim Walz. “We, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength,” Trump wrote. Walz said Trump agreed to consider reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota and to direct DHS to allow the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to conduct an independent investigation. Trump said that Homan will meet with Frey today “to continue the discussion.”
In an attempt to quell the backlash against the administration’s immigration enforcement operations, other changes are occurring on the ground in Minneapolis. On Sunday, Trump announced that he had dispatched border czar Tom Homan to the city to oversee the federal response. Homan will report directly to the president, sidestepping the normal DHS chain of command. CNN reported that Bovino and some of his agents are expected to leave Minneapolis today. Bovino will return to his previous post as chief of the Border Patrol’s El Centro sector in California, and he reportedly has been locked out of his social media accounts.
The fallout may already be uncontainable. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Saturday that Senate Democrats will refuse to vote for any spending bill funding DHS—putting key appropriations legislation in jeopardy and increasing the likelihood that the government could partially shut down at the end of the week.
“The appalling murders of Renée Good and Alex Pretti on the streets of Minneapolis must lead Republicans to join Democrats in overhauling ICE and CBP,” Schumer said.
With six appropriations bills packaged together that need 60 votes to pass, Republicans would need to strip out the DHS portion to avoid a shutdown. GOP leaders have so far refused.
