Minnesota has activated the National Guard following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old man by an ICE agent on Saturday morning. Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis requested Guard troops to assist local police after protester Alex Pretti was killed near Nicollet Avenue just after 9 am local time. Pretti, an intensive care nurse who protested against Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the city, was identified by family members as clashes erupted between angry protesters and federal officers.
The Minnesota National Guard was deployed to both the shooting location and a federal building where officers confronted demonstrators. Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated that there was limited information on the events leading up to the shooting and indicated that Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, claimed that federal officers fired “defensive shots” after a man with a handgun approached them and resisted violently when they tried to disarm him. Witness videos of the incident show Pretti with a phone in hand, with no visible weapon. The shooting occurred slightly over a mile from where an ICE officer killed Renee Good on January 7, triggering widespread protests.
Pretti’s family released a statement expressing their heartbreak and anger, describing him as a compassionate individual who aimed to make a difference in the world through his nursing work. The family denounced the administration’s portrayal of Pretti and insisted that he was not armed during the altercation with ICE officers.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem mentioned that Pretti obstructed a law enforcement operation but did not provide specifics on whether he brandished the weapon at officers. Federal officials disclosed that the ICE agent involved in the shooting is an eight-year Border Patrol veteran.
Following the incident, Donald Trump criticized Governor Walz and Mayor Frey on social media, questioning the lack of local police protection for ICE officers and accusing them of inciting insurrection with their rhetoric.
