In Minneapolis, Minnesota, another incident occurred in which a citizen died from gunfire by federal immigration enforcement agents, just 17 days later. The Donald Trump administration continues to defend immigration authorities, saying “it was self-defense,” but video contradicting that account has again been released, intensifying controversy. Protests against the Trump administration and its indiscriminate immigration crackdown show signs of intensifying again beyond Minnesota and spreading nationwide.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said on the 24th (local time) that a 37-year-old white man was fatally shot by federal agents. AP and other outlets reported that the deceased was Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital who lived in Minneapolis. He is a U.S. citizen from Illinois and is said to have no serious criminal history other than a parking violation. Family members said Pretti had joined protests out of anger over the federal government and its immigration crackdown.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that at the time of the incident, Pretti approached Border Patrol agents conducting an immigration operation while carrying a 9㎜ semi-automatic handgun and two magazines. DHS said the agents fired defensively amid violent resistance as they attempted to disarm him and administered medical aid immediately, but Pretti died at the scene. Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol commander directing local operations in Minnesota, asserted, “It appears he intended to massacre law enforcement officers.”

U.S. media, however, pointed out that eyewitness video shows scenes that directly contradict federal claims. In the footage, as Pretti moved in to help a protester who had been hit with pepper spray by a federal agent, federal agents pulled him away, subdued him, and forced him to the ground. While Pretti lay prone, one agent shouted, “He has a gun,” and another aimed at the back of Pretti and fired at close range.

The NYT said, “It appears there were at least 10 shots in under five seconds,” and added, “The video clearly shows that what he was holding when agents subdued him was a phone, not a gun.” According to Chief O'Hara, Pretti was a lawful gun owner and had a permit under state law allowing him to carry a handgun in public. DHS did not specify whether Pretti had the gun in his hand at the time or merely possessed it.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz held a press conference that day and rebutted the DHS claim as “nonsense and a lie.” He said, “Some of the most powerful figures in the federal government are distorting the story and circulating photos even before an investigation has begun,” and added, “I asked the White House to pull federal agents who foment confusion and violence out of Minnesota immediately.” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also urged that immigration enforcement agents be withdrawn, saying, “How many more people have to be killed or injured before this operation ends?”

President Trump posted on the social network Truth Social a photo of the gun Pretti was said to have possessed, labeling it “the gun of the shooter,” to stress that the federal agent's shooting was in self-defense. He also shifted blame, saying, “The governor and the mayor are inciting insurrection with arrogant rhetoric.” Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem labeled the victim a “terrorist.” When Renee Nicole Good was killed by immigration enforcement agents on the 7th, the Trump administration likewise condemned the victim as a terrorist and completely blocked state participation in the investigation.

This second death at the hands of immigration enforcement agents in about two weeks occurred less than 1 mile (about 1.6㎞) from the site where Good was killed. In Minneapolis, starting the previous day, thousands of citizens braved the severe cold and filled the streets, continuing large-scale demonstrations. At demonstrators chanting “Murderers” and “Immigration and Customs Enforcement, get out,” federal agents fired tear gas and flash-bang grenades as they attempted to forcibly disperse the crowd.

The NYT reported that about 1,000 people in New York and about 500 in Washington also gathered that day to protest the Trump administration and its indiscriminate immigration crackdown. In 2020, when George Floyd, a Black man, died due to excessive police force, protests in Minneapolis spread into nationwide ‘Black Lives Matter’ social-justice demonstrations.