The federal agent who fatally shot Alex Pretti during a confrontation in Minneapolis on January 24 has not been publicly identified, and authorities have released only limited details about the officer as multiple investigations get underway.
Pretti, a 37‑year‑old intensive care unit nurse and U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent during a federal immigration enforcement operation in south Minneapolis. His death has sparked protests across the country and intensified scrutiny of the conduct and accountability of federal immigration officers operating in U.S. cities.
What Authorities Have Said About the Agent
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed that the shooting was carried out by a U.S. Border Patrol agent, but it has not released the agent’s name or unit assignment.
According to DHS and Border Patrol leadership, the agent involved is an eight‑year veteran of the agency. No further biographical details, disciplinary history or prior use‑of‑force incidents involving the agent have been disclosed publicly.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the agent fired what it described as “defensive shots” after Pretti allegedly approached officers with a handgun and “violently resisted” efforts to disarm him. The department has not specified whether the agent believed Pretti was actively brandishing the weapon at the moment shots were fired.
Video Evidence and Disputed Accounts
Multiple bystander videos of the incident, which have been reviewed by news outlets, have raised questions about the official federal account of the shooting.
The videos appear to show Pretti filming federal agents with his phone, intervening after officers shoved a woman to the ground, and being pepper‑sprayed and tackled by several agents before shots are fired. In the moments immediately preceding the shooting, Pretti appears to have his phone in hand, and no video clearly shows him brandishing a firearm at that time.
One video appears to show an agent removing a handgun from Pretti during the struggle, seconds before another agent opens fire. DHS has not addressed that interpretation directly.
Because of these discrepancies, state and local officials have said they do not accept federal authorities’ version of events at face value.
Investigations and Oversight
Minnesota officials have moved quickly to limit federal control over the investigation. The state attorney general’s office, the Hennepin County Attorney and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension have all asserted jurisdiction to examine whether any criminal charges are warranted against the agent involved.
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration and DHS to preserve all evidence related to the shooting, after the state alleged that federal officers had initially blocked local investigators from accessing the scene or physical evidence.
Under standard practice, DHS officer‑involved shootings are typically investigated by the FBI alongside an internal DHS Office of Inspector General review. In this case, Minnesota officials have said they lacked confidence in federal oversight alone and would pursue an independent state‑led inquiry.
Broader Context
Pretti’s killing was the second fatal shooting by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis this month, following the January 7 death of Renee Nicole Good, who was shot by an ICE agent during another enforcement action.
