Corpus Christi+ Feminist

Shooting in Minneapolis: What We Know

_{Minneapolis skyline. Photo by Tony Webster, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).}

On January 24, 2026, a 37-year-old American man named Alex Jeffrey Pretti was shot and killed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota during a federal immigration enforcement operation. Pretti, a lawful gun owner and licensed intensive care nurse, was in the area when the incident occurred.

The operation was part of Operation Metro Surge, a large federal immigration enforcement effort in the Twin Cities. This was the third shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis within a few weeks, following other controversial encounters earlier in January.

Alex Jeffrey Pretti,
age 37

^{Photograph courtesy of 50501 Movement Facebook Page}

Sequence of Events

According to reports from multiple sources compiled into public records:

Federal agents engaged with Pretti near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in the Whittier neighborhood.
Video analysis and eyewitness accounts indicate Pretti held a phone and was recording the agents prior to the confrontation.
After being pepper-sprayed and brought to the ground, multiple agents fired at Pretti multiple times; he was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Federal authorities released their own account claiming Pretti approached with a handgun during a struggle, though details about whether he drew or used a firearm remain contested in public reporting.

Aftermath and Investigation

The shooting sparked protests and significant scrutiny:

Local officials and community members demanded transparency and access to evidence, noting tensions between federal and local authorities about control of the investigation.
The Minneapolis Police Department and state officials expressed concern over federal agents restricting local investigative access.
This incident followed another fatal shooting earlier in January in Minneapolis involving a separate ICE agent and a woman, which also drew protest and calls for accountability.