Minneapolis nurse killed by federal agents as protests erupt over shooting
Alex Pretti, 37, was fatally shot; videos contradict federal claims he intended to attack officers
Federal agents shot and killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident and intensive-care nurse at the Veterans Affairs hospital, on Saturday morning in south Minneapolis's Whittier neighborhood. The incident sparked immediate protests amid weeks of tense federal immigration operations.
Federal officials described Pretti as a domestic threat who wanted to "massacre" law enforcement. The New York Times (NYT) reported bystander videos show him holding a phone with no visible weapon, directly contradicting those claims.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara confirmed Pretti was a US citizen with no criminal history and held a legal permit to carry a firearm. The shooting occurred near Nicollet Avenue and 26th Street during a frigid morning with temperatures around 10 below zero.
NYT analysis shows Pretti approaching as agents used pepper spray on a woman nearby. Agents wrestled him to the ground; roughly 10 shots were fired seconds later while he lay restrained.
Protests erupted immediately, with demonstrators demanding accountability. Law enforcement deployed gas munitions and flash-bangs after crowds escalated; demonstrations remained mostly peaceful but tense.
Colleagues remembered Pretti as deeply committed to veterans' care. VA coworker Dimitri Drekonja called him "a really great colleague and really great friend" whose default expression was a smile.
DHS will lead the investigation despite state investigators being blocked from the scene even with a judge-signed warrant. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claimed Pretti sought "maximum damage"; Mayor Jacob Frey asked how many more residents must die before the operation ends.
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