A fatal shooting by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis stirred a row after a viral video appeared to contradict official claims that the man posed an active threat.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the incident happened at 9:05 am during a targeted operation against “an illegal alien wanted for violent assault”.In a post on X, DHS said an individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun and two magazines, resisted attempts to disarm him, and was shot after an agent feared for his life and the safety of others.“Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots,” DHS said, adding that medics provided aid but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Political commentator Brian Krassenstein posted a breakdown of what happened during the whole confrontation step-bystep before the shooting on X: “I will show you irrefutable evidence that Border Patrol just k*lled an unarmed man in Minneapolis.”He added: “You can clearly see, as I show you that one agent approaches the man without a gun, reaches into the man’s pants, pulls out the gun, all before the first shots are fired.”
BREAKING: I will show you irrefutable evidence that Border Patrol just k*lled an unarmed man in Minneapolis.
You can clearly see, as I show you that one agent approaches the man without a gun, reaches into the man’s pants, pulls out the gun, all before the first shots are…
pic.twitter.com/WCxIPolYrS
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) January 24, 2026
If the man dies, this is murder. There’s no possible legal rationale for backing up and firing multiple shots into a man who’s lying flat on the ground.
There’s no ambiguity here. Those shots are to kill, not to stop a threat.
https://t.co/M4eIuMZw6E
— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@ReichlinMelnick) January 24, 2026
We have a responsibility to protect Americans from tyranny.
DHS just shot a man in broad daylight two weeks after they shot a mother in the face without consequence.
They need our votes to continue. We cannot give it to them. Every Senator should vote NO.
https://t.co/fYB7nfncOI
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 24, 2026
The agency claimed the suspect had no identification and suggested he intended “to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement”.DHS also said around 200 people later arrived at the scene, obstructed officers and assaulted law enforcement, prompting crowd control measures.However, social media users and witnesses have disputed that account. Viral footage circulating online appears to show officers wrestling the man to the ground, and some users claim that the ICE agents took possession of his gun before shots were fired. One user wrote: “This officer very clearly succeeded in disarming the suspect and walked away with the firearm you just pictured prior to the first shots.” Another said: “We can all watch the video of an ICE agent murdering a bystander with our own eyes.”Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said local police were not involved in the shooting. “The video speaks for itself,” he said, confirming the man was a 37-year-old white male and a city resident. He added: “We believe he is a lawfully gun owner with a permit to carry.” Police said the man had no known criminal history apart from traffic offences.Hospital records obtained by the Associated Press confirmed the man later died. Initial reports wrongly identified him as 51 before his age was corrected.The Border Patrol Union defended the officers, saying agents acted appropriately. “When a supposed ‘peaceful’ protester brings a weapon such as a loaded handgun and brandishes it, there are going to severe consequences and repercussions,” the union said, blaming media and political rhetoric for escalating tensions.New York lawmaker Zohran Mamdani also reacted, posting: “ICE terrorizes our cities. ICE puts us all in danger. Abolish ICE.”The shooting is the third involving immigration officers in Minneapolis in nearly three weeks and comes amid daily protests following the death of Renee Good earlier this month at the hands of ICE agent Jonathan Ross. Thousands of demonstrators again took to the streets on Friday, calling for federal agents to leave the city. Go to Source
