By Roberto Schmidt, AFP
Nurse Alex Pretti, 37, was shot and killed by federal immigration agents on 24 January 2026. Photo: US Department of Veteran Affairs
Federal immigration agents shot dead a man in Minneapolis on Saturday, in the second fatal shooting of a civilian during the Trump administration's unprecedented operation in the city, sparking fresh protests and outrage from state officials.
The death came less than three weeks after US citizen Renee Good was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer.
On Saturday, federal and local officials offered differing assessments of the man's killing, while video of the altercation quickly spread online.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the shooting "horrific" and demanded state authorities lead the investigation.
"The federal government cannot be trusted to lead this investigation. The state will handle it, period," Walz told a press conference.
Federal authorities controversially blocked local investigators from jointly probing Good's death.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) insisted the man killed Saturday, identified by local media as 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti, "approached" agents with a pistol and then "violently resisted" being disarmed.
Alex Pretti, 37. Photo: US Department of Veterans Affairs
In a bystander video, verified by Reuters, multiple agents struggle on the ground with Pretti, appearing to strike him before a shot is fired. Pretti falls down, after which multiple additional shots can be heard.
In a second unverified video shot from a different angle, Pretti can be seen standing in the street and filming agents alongside protesters as whistles blow.
An agent appears to deploy pepper spray at Pretti and two other people.
An altercation ensues before the shots ring out. The agents back away from Pretti as the person filming runs away screaming.
Crowds quickly gathered in the wake of the shooting, despite the sub-freezing temperatures, making state law enforcement unable to secure the scene, Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bob Jacobson told a briefing.
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, ratcheted up his war of words with Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, accusing the Democratic leaders of "inciting insurrection" with their rhetoric.
"The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric," he wrote on social media.
Trump has previously threatened to send troops to Minnesota by invoking the Insurrection Act.
'End this operation'
Frey urged Trump to end the federal immigration operation, which has sparked sometimes violent demonstrations.
"This is a moment to act like a leader. Put Minneapolis, put America first in this moment - let's achieve peace. Let's end this operation."
"How many more residents, how many more Americans need to die or get badly hurt?"
Police chief Brian O'Hara said an "incredibly volatile scene" had erupted after the shooting and urged residents to avoid the area.
Officers who declared the protest an unlawful assembly deployed clouds of tear gas as the crowd grew and used dumpsters to make blockades on the road in the busy south Minneapolis neighbourhood known for its restaurants.
Local resident Maria, 56, told AFP the situation in the city was "escalating."
Federal agents stand near police tape as demonstators gather near the site of where state and local authorities say a man was shot by federal agents earlier in the morning in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photo: ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP
"They're attacking and terrorising our communities right now," she said, describing the situation as "white terror."
DHS wrote on X that "an individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun" and that its officers tried to disarm the man, who they say "violently resisted."
"Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots. Medics on scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject, but was pronounced dead at the scene," DHS said.
O'Hara said police believed the victim was a "lawful gun owner with a permit to carry."
Minnesota allows the open carrying of firearms with a permit.
'Horrific shooting'
Earlier, Walz said he had discussed "another horrific shooting by federal agents" with the White House.
"Minnesota has had it. This is sickening," he said on X.
"The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now."
Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar called the shooting "an execution" and accused Trump of transforming Minneapolis into a "war zone."
Thousands of ICE agents have been deployed to the Democratic-led city, as Trump presses a sweeping campaign to deport undocumented migrants.
A protestor holds a sign reading "Justice for Renee Good" on 23 January 2026. Photo: Roberto Schmidt / AFP
Minneapolis has been rocked by increasingly tense protests since federal agents shot and killed Good, a US citizen, on 7 January.
An autopsy concluded that the killing was a homicide, a classification that does not automatically mean a crime was committed.
Public outrage was rekindled this week by the detention of a five-year-old boy as agents sought to arrest his father.
The Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday cancelled their NBA fixture in the city following the incident, and an afternoon carnival parade was also scrapped.
- AFP/Reuters
