A federal agent cordons off the area as people gather at the scene of a shooting involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 24, 2026.
Tim Evans | Reuters
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the president on Saturday Donald Trump shutting down large-scale Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the state after a second fatal shooting this month by federal agents in Minneapolis.
“I just spoke with the White House following another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning,” Walz wrote in a statement. job on
In a briefing Saturday afternoon, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said authorities identified the victim as a 37-year-old white man who resides in Minneapolis, adding that the man had no known criminal history beyond traffic citations. The man was later identified as Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, by his parents and the Associated Press.
An undated image of Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by U.S. immigration agents while trying to arrest him in Minneapolis, Minnesota, obtained by Reuters on January 25, 2026.
US Department of Veterans Affairs | Via Reuters
“The only interaction we are aware of with law enforcement involves traffic tickets, and we believe he is a legal firearms owner with a license,” O’Hara said, while noting that details surrounding the encounter remain under investigation.
O’Hara said his department has been in contact with the Department of Homeland Security, but has not provided specific details about the incident itself.
The latest shooting adds to a tense weeks-long standoff between Minnesota authorities and federal immigration agents. Earlier this month, ICE agent fatally shot Renée Nicole Gooda 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, in an enforcement action that sparked widespread protests and accelerated political backlash against the federal operation.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks in front of a screen showing an image of a handgun that the Department of Homeland Security said was recovered from a man who was shot during his arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during a press conference at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Response Coordination Center in Washington, DC, United States, January 24, 2026.
Nathan Howard | Reuters
“At 9:05 a.m., DHS law enforcement was conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement on X. “An individual approached U.S. Border Patrol agents with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, seen here.”
Federal agents attempted to disarm the suspect, but he violently resisted, DHS said: “More details on the armed struggle will be available soon.”
About 200 protesters arrived at the scene, the department said, and “crowd control measures were deployed for the safety of the public and law enforcement.”
Customs and Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino said at a news conference Saturday afternoon that the federal agent involved in the shooting had worked for the agency for eight years.
Clouds of tear gas during clashes between federal agents and community members at the scene of a shooting involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 24, 2026.
Tim Evans | Reuters
Trump responded to the shooting in a Truth Social article, defending the federal operation and condemning criticism of his immigration enforcement surge.
“It’s the shooter’s gun, loaded (with two extra full magazines!) and ready to go. What is it? Where are the local police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect the ICE agents?” he wrote. “The mayor and governor canceled them? It says a lot of these officers weren’t allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect itself — That’s not an easy thing to do!”
At a press conference Saturday evening, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem portrayed Pretti as a man determined to commit acts of violence against federal agents: “This appears to be a situation where an individual arrived on scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and kill law enforcement. »
When asked if the 37-year-old had ever pointed his gun at federal agents, Noem sidestepped the question and instead asked why an individual would bring a gun to a protest.
But despite Noem’s claims, several videos from bystanders and observers at the scene of the shooting posted on social media appear to tell a different story. In a video obtained by The Associated Press, protesters can be heard whistling and shouting insults at officers on Nicollet Avenue.
The video shows a police officer shoving a person who is wearing a brown jacket, a skirt and black tights and who is carrying a bottle of water. This person reaches out to a man and the two bond and kiss. The man, wearing a brown jacket and black hat, appears to be holding his phone toward the officer.
The same officer pushes the man in the chest and the two men, still embracing, step back.
The video then moves to another part of the street, then returns to the two individuals dissociating. The video changes focus again and then shows three police officers surrounding the man.
Soon, at least seven police officers surrounded the man. One of them is on the man’s back and another, who appears to have a cartridge in his hand, hits him in the chest. Several officers attempt to pull the man’s arms behind his back as he appears to resist. As they pull his arms, his face is briefly visible on camera. The officer with the cartridge hits the man several times near the head.
A gunshot rings out, but as police surround the man, it is unclear where the gunshot came from. Several officers moved away from the man after the shooting. More gunshots are heard. The police step back and the man remains motionless in the street.
In another video, seen by CNBC, it appears a federal officer removes a gun from the man on the ground before shots are fired.
DHS said it plans to investigate the shooting, rather than the FBI, two sources told MS Now.
In response to a request from Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt, Walz agreed Saturday afternoon to activate the Minnesota National Guard to support first responders.
“The role of the Minnesota National Guard is to support local law enforcement and emergency responders, providing additional resources. Their presence is intended to help create a secure environment in which all Minnesotans can safely exercise their rights, including the right to peaceful protest,” according to the Sheriff’s Department. statement.
Minneapolis officials urged the public to avoid the area and remain calm as local law enforcement and state patrol units arrived to separate protesters from ICE personnel. The Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., joined the governor’s call for ICE to end its operations in Minnesota.
“The world is watching. Thousands of citizens arrested and harassed. Local police no longer able to do their jobs. Children in hiding. Schools are closed. Get ICE out of Minnesota NOW,” she said in an X post.
But Trump administration officials have blamed the shooting on the gunman.
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller called Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” saying he “attempted to assassinate federal law enforcement.”
Read more about CNBC’s politics coverage— Terri Cullen of CNBC and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
