At least one Federal law enforcement agent shot and killed another United States citizen in Minneapolis on Saturday morning.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the victim, identified as 37-year-old nurse and U.S. citizen Alex Jeffrey Pretti, was a “lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.”
It is unclear what led up to the shooting, but social media footage of the incident showed four federal agents wrestling with the man on the street. A gunshot is heard, and agents begin to leave the scene, when several more gunshots are heard.
Medical personnel performed life-saving measures, but the man was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene, The Star-Tribune first reported.
O’Hara also ordered the Minneapolis Police Department to preserve the scene. ICE agents originally attempted to order local police to leave the scene, but O’Hara refused.
The shooting comes as Minneapolis residents are already on edge following the killing of 37-year-old Minnesota mother Renee Nicole Good earlier this month at the hands of ICE agent Jonathan Ross.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who has repeatedly called for ICE to leave the city, again called for the agency to leave on Saturday.
“I just saw a video of more than six masked agents pummeled one of our constituents and shooting them to death,” the mayor said at a press conference.
“How many more residents? How many more Americans need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end? How many more lives need to be lost before this administration realizes that a political and partisan narrative is not as important as American values?” Frey said.
“How many times must local and national leaders must plead with you, Donald Trump, to end this operation and recognize that this is not creating safety in our city,” he continued.
In a direct address to President Donald Trump, the mayor called for the president to end his administration’s immigration operation in the city.
“To President Trump: this is a moment to act like a leader, put Minneapolis, put America first in this. Let’s achieve peace. Let’s end this operation. And I’m telling you, our city will come back. Safety will be restored. We’re asking for you to take action now to remove these federal agents,” Frey said.
“This administration and everyone involved in this operation should be reflected. They should be reflecting right now and asking themselves, what exactly are you accomplishing?” he added.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told The Daily Beast in a statement that while DHS agents were conducting an immigration operation, the man “approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun.”
“The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted. More details on the armed struggle are forthcoming. Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots,” the statement continued.
“The suspect also had 2 magazines and no ID—this looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement,“ DHS claimed.
The department also offered a photo of the gun they claim the victim had.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz confirmed shortly after the shooting that he had spoken with the Trump White House about the incident, and demanded an investigation into the shooting.
“I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening,” he posted on X. “The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said ICE needs to leave the state “NOW.”
“There has been another shooting involving federal agents in Minneapolis and I am working to get more information. I will update as soon as possible. To the Trump administration and the Republicans in Congress who have stood silent: Get ICE out of our state NOW,” Klobuchar posted.
On Friday, thousands of protestors marched in Downtown Minneapolis, bracing the frigid weather to demand that ICE agents leave the city.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
