FEDERAL AGENT KILLS MAN IN MINNEAPOLIS, NATIONAL GUARD ACTIVATED AS PROTESTS ESCALATE

A federal immigration officer shot and killed a man in Minneapolis on Saturday, drawing hundreds of protesters onto the frigid streets of a city already shaken by another fatal shooting weeks earlier. The Minnesota National Guard has been activated by Governor Tim Walz to assist local police amid growing protests.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said a 37-year-old man was killed but declined to identify him. The man was later identified by his parents as Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse. The officer who shot Pretti is an eight-year Border Patrol veteran, federal officials said. O’Hara stated that information about what led up to the shooting was limited, but noted the man’s only previous known interaction with law enforcement was for traffic tickets. “And we believe he is a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry,” he said.

The shooting occurred during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that federal officers fired “defensive shots” after a man with a handgun approached them and “violently resisted” when officers tried to disarm him.

The incident unfolded just over a mile from where 37-year-old Renee Good was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on January 7, which has sparked widespread daily protests. On Saturday, the scene remained tense. Dozens of federal agents deployed tear gas and flash bangs to push back hundreds of protesters. People huddled in doorways to escape tear gas, wearing bicycle helmets and ski goggles in below-zero temperatures. Protesters chanted profanities against ICE and called agents “murderers.”

A bystander video obtained by The Associated Press shows details of the confrontation. The video shows an officer shoving a person before an altercation with a man, identified as Pretti, who appears to be holding his phone. Officers surround the man, with one striking him near the head with a cannister. A shot rings out, though its origin is unclear from the video, followed by more shots. The man lies motionless on the street.

Political reactions were swift and divided. President Donald Trump lashed out on social media, sharing images of the gun recovered and stating, “What is that all about?” He accused Governor Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of “inciting Insurrection.” Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, called the man killed a “domestic terrorist” and “a would-be assassin.”

Democratic leaders expressed outrage. Congressman Robert Garcia called for ICE to be “abolished” and for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be impeached. “Trump has created a militarized police force accountable only to him and ready to murder people in our streets,” he wrote. Congressman Brad Schneider called for an independent investigation, stating, “Every agent involved in this shooting must be suspended… And, Kristi Noem has got to go.”

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar said, “Donald Trump and all your lieutenants who ordered this ICE surge: watch the horrific video of the killing today. The world is watching… Get ICE out of Minnesota.” Representative Ilhan Omar stated, “I am absolutely heartbroken, horrified, and appalled that federal agents murdered another member of our community… This administration cannot continue violating constitutional rights under the guise of immigration enforcement.”

Vice President JD Vance, who visited Minneapolis this week, said in a post that ICE agents wanted to work with local law enforcement “so that situations on the ground didn’t get out of hand,” and accused local officials of ignoring those requests.

At the scene, a makeshift memorial took shape at a nearby bus stop. Local business owner Allison Bross opened her store for protesters to get food, water, and warmth. “We’re a community-based business, we don’t exist without the community,” she said. “So if we hear someone in our neighborhood is getting hurt, I’m going to be here immediately.”

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office requested National Guard assistance to protect the Whipple Federal Building, allowing deputies to be reallocated. The NBA postponed the Golden State Warriors-Minnesota Timberwolves game scheduled at the Target Center “to prioritize the safety and security” of the community.

Police Chief O’Hara appealed for calm. “Our demand today is for those federal agencies that are operating in our city to do so with the same discipline, humanity and integrity that effective law enforcement in this country demands,” he said. “We urge everyone to remain peaceful. We recognize that there is a lot of anger and a lot of questions around what has happened, but we need people to remain peaceful in the area.”