U.S. Border Patrol Shoots and Kills Minneapolis ICU Nurse Alex Pretti

Federal Border Patrol officers fatally shot 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti during a targeted federal operation in the city.

“Border Patrol agent shoots 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti during a raid in Minneapolis, sparking protests”

Al Jazeera

The shooting drew immediate local protests and official statements from federal authorities asserting the agents fired in self-defense.

Al Jazeera

CNN reports that Pretti 'was fatally shot Saturday by a Border Patrol agent.'

CBS News says federal commanders and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have asserted Pretti intended to 'do maximum damage.'

Local streets around 26th St. W and Nicollet Ave were secured and later reopened after a tense night.

Al Jazeera likewise notes the Department of Homeland Security described the shots as defensive, even as bystander footage circulated showing a chaotic scene with agents and protesters.

PhillyVoice documents the operational details, including a concentrated Border Patrol deployment, tear gas and multiple agents wrestling a man to the ground, and says DHS characterized the officer's firing as 'defensive shots.'

Video of the incident circulated widely, and several outlets report that close analysis undermines the federal account.

CNN's analysis says footage appears to show a federal immigration officer reach into a scuffle and remove a gun from Pretti's waistband just before officers fired, with one shot audible about a second after the officer emerges holding the weapon and several more following.

BBC

Indy100 and news.meaww describe bystander video that seems to show Pretti moving to assist others, being pepper‑sprayed and pinned, and then struck and shot in rapid succession.

News.meaww and Westword note that online footage and witness affidavits do not show Pretti pointing or drawing a gun.

Meanwhile the White House circulated an image of a pistol that President Trump said belonged to Pretti and was 'loaded,' but multiple outlets say the administration has not produced clear public evidence that Pretti ever drew a weapon.

A Minnesota judge has issued a temporary restraining order after state authorities sued, seeking to prevent federal agencies from destroying evidence, per CNN.

Pretti’s family and community leaders strongly rejected federal descriptions of the incident.

“Updated on: January 25, 2026 / 10:47 AM CST/ CBS Minnesota Federal agents shot and killed a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis on Saturday morning, less than three weeks after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good and amid an ongoing surge in immigration enforcement action across the city”

CBS News

Multiple sources quote his parents calling the administration’s account "sickening lies."

Family statements say Pretti, an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA, was trying to protect a woman and was holding a phone with an empty raised hand when confronted.

Protests and vigils followed, with the Boston Globe and NBC describing hundreds gathering at a makeshift memorial and a vigil in bitter cold.

CBS noted temporary local closures and the lifting of vehicle perimeters after what it called a "calm and peaceful" night.

The Boston Globe reported Democratic members of Congress demanding investigations and some even calling for the abolition of ICE.

Other political reactions included calls to suspend or remove federal agents alongside national messaging from the White House.

Western mainstream outlets (CNN, CBS, NBC, Boston Globe) tend to present official statements and procedural details while also reporting the video contradictions and legal disputes.

West Asian coverage (Al Jazeera) emphasizes the broader political context of federal deployments and sustained protests.

CNN

Western tabloids and alternative outlets (news.meaww, Westword, Indy100) foreground the family’s account, the graphic details in circulated footage, and sharper condemnations of federal actions.

DW’s reporting highlights correctional and framing issues, noting an earlier misstatement about the shooter’s agency, and the Irish Times provides legal filings (sworn affidavits) that explicitly contradict the official narrative.

These variations affect tone: some outlets use phrases like "do maximum damage" or "violently resisted" when relaying officials’ claims, while others amplify community outrage and terms such as "sickening lies" used by Pretti’s family.