Who was Alex Pretti? 37-year-old identified as man shot dead by federal officers in Minneapolis

In a tragic turn of events, 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a US citizen, was shot dead by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. Officials confirmed that during a large immigration enforcement operation, Pretti brandished a weapon and resisted arrest, prompting a Border Patrol agent to open fire in self-defense.

A 37-year-old Minneapolis man shot and killed by federal immigration officers on Saturday has been identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, city and law enforcement officials said.Pretti was a United States citizen and resident of south Minneapolis, according to local authorities. Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Pretti had no serious criminal history, only some parking and traffic tickets and was understood to be a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry arms. He was previously misidentified as a 51-year-old, but this was later corrected.The fatal shooting occurred at around 9.05am near the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue, an area in south Minneapolis, during a large federal immigration enforcement operation known as ‘Operation Metro Surge.’

This enforcement programme was launched by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and has deployed hundreds of federal agents to Minnesota to carry out arrests related to immigration law.According to DHS, Pretti was armed with a 9 mm handgun and carrying two magazines of ammunition at the time of the encounter. The federal agency said officers attempted to disarm him and that he resisted violently. DHS said one Border Patrol agent then fired defensive shots after fearing for their own safety and that of other officers around them. The man was later pronounced dead at the scene despite efforts to provide medical aid from the agency itself.

Video of the incident posted on social media showed several federal agents wrestling with a man before multiple shots were fired. It took place on the same day as large protests against immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities. Some internet users claimed that federal agents again used aggressive tactics and shot an “unarmed” man in broad daylight. This claim was backed by numerous democrats like Zohran Mamdani and AOC. This was the second fatal shooting by federal immigration officers in the city in recent weeks, following the earlier death of Renee Good, who was also killed during a federal operation by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in “self-defence.”Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota condemned the shooting and urged federal authorities to end the current enforcement actions.