Full Analysis Summary
CBP agents' deadly shooting
On Jan. 24, U.S. Customs and Border Protection placed two agents on administrative leave after they fired during a confrontation that killed 37‑year‑old intensive‑care nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
DHS officials described the leave as "standard protocol," and preliminary internal reviews show two officers fired amid a scuffle, with an agent shouting "He's got a gun!" before about ten rounds were recorded.
It remains unclear whether Pretti's weapon discharged.
The shooting unfolded during a larger "Operation Metro Surge" federal deployment and has prompted multiple investigations by DHS, CBP and other authorities.
Coverage Differences
Contradiction between early official claims and later internal review/video
Some early public statements by administration officials and local allies presented Pretti as an active armed threat, while preliminary CBP and video evidence reported to Congress and shown to media instead indicate Pretti was restrained or disarmed when officers fired. These differences reflect conflicting initial field reports versus later internal summaries and video review.
Footage of shooting encounters
Multiple outlets compiled and reported new video showing confrontations leading up to the Jan. 24 shooting, including an earlier Jan. 13 encounter.
Clips reportedly show masked officers forcing Pretti to the ground and pepper spray being used.
They also show an agent removing a firearm from Pretti’s waistband seconds before other agents fired, and moments where Pretti appears to hold only a phone.
Several outlets cite NBC‑verified eyewitness video and Reuters‑verified reporting as contradicting initial claims that Pretti had clearly brandished or used a weapon.
Coverage Differences
Emphasis on video evidence vs. agency statements
Outlets emphasizing video and independent verification (e.g., Reuters‑verified or NBC‑verified reporting cited by News18, The Straits Times, ThePrint) focus on clips that show Pretti holding a phone and then being disarmed before being shot; other outlets lean on DHS/CBP language about agents perceiving a threat and procedural descriptions. This leads to divergent impressions of whether the shooting was a justified use of force.
Shooting sparks political unrest
The shooting has intensified local and national political conflict.
Lawmakers, community members, and medical colleagues have demanded answers and accountability.
Protests spread nationwide, and authorities reported arrests connected to clashes.
Federal leadership responded by reassigning local operational leadership and promising adjustments to tactics while defending enforcement.
President Trump both called for de-escalation at times and publicly criticized Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey at others.
DHS moved to replace a local official with border czar Tom Homan and reported arrests of 16 people for allegedly assaulting federal agents.
Medical staff and vigil participants demanded full accountability for Pretti and for prior related deaths such as the Jan. 7 shooting of Renee Good.
Coverage Differences
Tone and framing across source types
West Asian and Western Mainstream outlets (Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN) foreground community harm, bipartisan outrage and protest activity, while some Other/Tabloid sources (nypost, Daily Mail) highlight procedural details like administrative leave and DHS calling reports "routine." Western Alternative sources (theqldr.au, RTE-like snippets) stress local opposition and portray federal moves as politically charged. This creates different emphases on community impact versus administrative process.
Investigations and accountability
Investigations, legal moves and questions about accountability are ongoing.
Federal investigators and U.S. Customs and Border Protection internal review offices have sent preliminary summaries to Congress and preserved evidence after state investigators were initially blocked from the scene.
Courts have issued orders tied to protest policing and evidence preservation, while some appeals judges have temporarily modified injunctions governing federal action at demonstrations.
Commentators and some lawmakers say early public characterizations of the incident — including officials who called Pretti an "assassin" or a "domestic terrorist" — are undercut by the CBP summaries and video evidence, and calls for independent investigations and legal scrutiny continue.
Coverage Differences
Focus on legal process vs. political labels
Legal and mainstream outlets (News18, BBC, ThePrint) stress ongoing investigations, evidence preservation orders and judicial actions, while outlets like Folha and the Daily Mail highlight political rhetoric — naming officials who used charged labels and reporting backlash — showing how reportage splits between judicial detail and political controversy.