From LMT Online: Family members say the man killed by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis on Saturday was an intensive care nurse at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital who cared deeply about people and was upset by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in his city.
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed getting in adventures with Joule, his beloved Catahoula Leopard dog who also recently died. He had participated in protests following the killing of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs officer on Jan. 7.
Pretti was a U.S. citizen, born in Illinois. Like Good, court records showed he had no criminal record and his family said he had never had any interactions with law enforcement beyond a handful of traffic tickets.
“He cared about people deeply, and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset,” said Michael Pretti, Alex’s father. “He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street. He cared about those people, and he knew it was wrong, so he did participate in protests.”
His parents, who live in Colorado, said they told their son to stay out of the agents’ way when protesting.
“We had this discussion with him two weeks ago or so, you know, that go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid, basically,” Michael Pretti said. “And he said he knows that. He knew that.”
The suspect did engage with officers, however, according to Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino.
Bovino said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) law enforcement officers were conducting an operation targeting Jose Huerta-Chuma, an illegal alien with a criminal history including domestic assault to intentional conflict bodily harm, disorderly conduct, and driving without a valid license, on Saturday morning.
As agents were performing their duty, an individual approached U.S. Border Patrol agents with a nine-millimeter semi-automatic handgun, Bovino said.
“The agents attempted to disarm the individual, but he violently resisted. Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, a Border Patrol agent fired defensive shots,” Bovino said. “Medics on the scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject, but the subject was pronounced dead at the scene.”
Bovino explained that the officer involved in the shooting was “highly trained” and was an 8-year veteran of the Border Patrol.
Bovino asked for state and local law enforcement to “help us coordinate to get violent criminals off the street.”
“I want to reiterate what President Donald Trump, Secretary Kristi Noem, myself, Director Marcus Charles and so many others have said time and again, if you obstruct a law enforcement officer or assault a law enforcement officer, you are in violation of the law and will be arrested,” Bovino said.
He called out Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara for not admitting in their own statements that the suspect was armed.
Frey condemned the shooting, saying, “I just saw a video of more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents and shooting him to death. How many more residents? How many more Americans need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end? How many more lives need to be lost before this administration realizes that a political and partisan narrative is not as important as American values? How many times must local and national leaders must plead with you, Donald Trump, to end this operation and recognize that this is not creating safety in our city?”
🚨 JACOB FREY: “I just saw a video of more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents and shooting him to death. How many more residents, how many more Americans need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end?” pic.twitter.com/1qOtIhKqf9
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 24, 2026
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz also condemned the shooting.
“I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening,” Walz wrote on X. “The president must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”
I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening.
The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) January 24, 2026
President Donald Trump responded to the shooting, posting on Truth Social.
“This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go – What is that all about?” he wrote in part. “Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers? The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves — Not an easy thing to do!”
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison called immigration enforcement’s presence in Minnesota an “illegal and unconstitutional occupation.” After today’s shooting, he said he would take legal arguments to court on Monday to try to get ICE out of the state.
— Attorney General Keith Ellison (@AGEllison) January 24, 2026
Meanwhile, NBC News reports:
Hundreds of protesters have amassed at the site of today’s shooting in south Minneapolis.
“Say his name! Alex Pretti!” the crowd is chanting.
The smell of smoke bombs and tear gas still lingers in the air hours after authorities attempted to disperse earlier crowds.
Hundreds have gathered at the site if todays’s shooting as the sun sets in Minneapolis. pic.twitter.com/ScOWekh0TR
— Matt Lavietes (@mattlavietes) January 24, 2026
UPDATE: CHAOS erupts after armed man shot dead by agents in Minneapolis; Dem calls it an ‘execution’
Read more at LMT Online
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