What we know
- A Border Patrol agent shot and killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, an intensive care nurse, in Minneapolis yesterday. The city’s second fatal shooting by a federal officer this month set off another wave of outrage from residents and local officials.
- Federal officials have said the agent fired the shots “fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers.”
- At least four different videos of the encounter — recorded by eyewitnesses and verified and analyzed by NBC News — run counter to some of the administration’s description of events.
- In dueling news conferences, Gov. Tim Walz and Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino offered starkly different narratives, with Walz blaming “untrained” federal agents for the violence and Bovino blaming protesters and local officials for “vilifying” agents and causing a “preventable tragedy.”
Ex-Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns calls for accountability and transparency
Former Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns said he stands with the state after the fatal shootings of Pretti and Renee Good this month and called for people to reflect “on what our values truly are.”
Towns, a center-forward for the New York Knicks, said on X that the events in Minnesota are “heartbreaking to witness.”
“These events have cost lives and shaken families — and we must call for accountability, transparency, and protections for all people,” he said. “This moment demands that we reflect honestly on what our values truly are.”
He offered his condolences to the families of Good and Pretti.
Towns played for the Timberwolves from the 2015-16 season through the 2023-24 season before he joined the Knicks. He was named an NBA Western Conference All-Star for the fourth time in his career in 2024.
Clinton condemns scenes in Minneapolis, calling on people to ‘stand up’ and ‘speak out’
Former President Bill Clinton issued a statement about what he described as “the horrible scenes playing out in Minneapolis and across America,” which he said he “never thought would take place in America.” Clinton called on people to “stand up” and “speak out.”
“All of this is unacceptable and should have been avoided,” Clinton wrote. “To make matters worse, at every turn, the people in charge have lied to us, told us not to believe what we’ve seen with our own eyes, and pushed increasingly aggressive and antagonistic tactics, including impeding investigations by local authorities.”
“Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come. This is one of them,” Clinton said.
“If we give our freedoms away after 250 years, we might never get them back.”
Democrats’ calls for Kristi Noem to resign or face impeachment grow louder
Reporting from Washington
Eight more Democrats signed on to a resolution to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in the wake of Pretti’s killing, bringing the total number of co-sponsors to 120, said a spokesperson for the office of Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois.
Kelly’s impeachment resolution had 100 co-sponsors as of Tuesday, according to a news release, but the number spiked in recent days amid outcry over immigration enforcement practices as thousands of federal officers were deployed to Minnesota in what the administration has dubbed Operation Metro Surge.
“IMPEACH KRISTI NOEM,” the Democratic Party said Sunday on X.
The latest calls for Noem’s impeachment come as the Department of Homeland Security faces a fresh wave of scrutiny after two U.S. citizens were killed in Minneapolis.
WNBA player Breanna Stewart posts photo calling to ‘Abolish ICE’
WNBA player Breanna Stewart today posted a photo of herself on Instagram holding a sign that says “Abolish ICE.”
In the caption, Stewart said, “As a mother, nothing scares me more than seeing families torn apart, children traumatized, and parents living in fear of losing their loved ones.”
“Saying Abolish ICE is about advocating for policies that uplift families and strengthen communities, instead of fueling fear and violence,” Stewart wrote.
Chicago Sky player Angel Reese and WNBA trainer DJ Sackmann commented on the post, posting emojis in apparent support of Stewart’s message.
Trump tells WSJ his administration is ‘reviewing everything’ about Minneapolis shooting
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal today, Trump said his administration is “reviewing everything” about the Minneapolis shooting.
Trump, in his first published interview since Pretti was killed, declined to say whether the federal agent who shot Pretti acted appropriately, saying his administration was “looking” and “reviewing everything and we will come out with a determination.”
Trump asserted that Pretti was carrying “a very dangerous gun” and crticized the victim for having a gun at a protest.
At least four videos appear to contradict the administration’s account that Pretti was holding a weapon during the skirmish leading up to his death.
Trump added that immigration enforcement officials will eventually leave the area but did not provide a timeline for their departure.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
White House to push forward with immigration policy, ‘demand’ cooperation
Amid growing backlash from yesterday’s shooting of Pretti, Trump plans to push forward with his immigration enforcement policy and is having ongoing discussions with aides on whether to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minneapolis, according to a senior White House official.
The official said Trump plans to continue to “demand” cooperation between local and federal law enforcement “even more than he’s already been asking for” in recent days. In Trump’s view, “the only reason this chaos and these tragic situations are happening is because locals have refused to work with the federal government and encouraging resistance, creating extremely difficult circumstances for law enforcement to operate in,” the official said.
The official argued that “none of this is happening in states like Florida or Texas,” states run by Republicans where immigration enforcement operations have been ongoing.
Pretti’s death is ‘a tremendous loss for society,’ college mentor says
Pretti’s professional mentor during his undergraduate years at the University of Minnesota remembered him for his “positivity and goodwill.”
Anja Katrin Bielinsk, who led the cancer research lab where Pretti worked as a technician, said he was always upbeat, even when experiments failed.
“The room would light up when he was around, because he was always in a good mood and always ready to help,” she said.
Pretti graduated from the university’s College of Liberal Arts in 2011, according to the school, which has extended its sympathies to Pretti’s loved ones.
Pretti left the lab sometime the following year and told Bielinsky he was considering a career in nursing.
“I immediately thought that would be a great fit for him,” in part because he was skilled at “human-to-human interaction,” she said.
Pretti became a licensed nurse in Minnesota and was a nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, records and officials have said.
“He was so genuine in his desire to help people, and it is painful that this desire cost him his life,” Bielinsky said. “What a tremendous loss for society.”
VA secretary appears to blame local officials for Pretti’s death
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins appeared in a post on X to focus blame for Pretti’s death on “state and local officials’ refusal to cooperate with the federal government to enforce the law and deport dangerous illegal criminals.”
He also confirmed Pretti was a nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center and offered condolences to his family.
“As President Trump has said, nobody wants to see chaos and death in American cities, and we send our condolences to the Pretti family,” Collins wrote.
Eyewitness videos show at least one federal agent shooting and killing Pretti.
‘It is time for a hard reset’: Attorney representing Renee Good’s family calls on ICE to leave Minneapolis
The law firm representing Renee Good’s family called for ICE personnel to leave Minneapolis, calling their presence “an invasion of this beautiful American city.”
In the statement, attorney Antonio Romanucci referred to the killing of Pretti, calling him “yet another U.S. citizen losing their life while taking art in the time-honored and Constitutionally protected activity of being present to observe and peacefully advocate for their beliefs.”
“We urge all Americans to trust their own eyes as they interpret the horrific video, and to call for an absolute end to ICE activity in Minneapolis,” wrote Romanucci, a founding partner at Romanucci & Blandin.
“It has clearly gone too far and strayed far beyond its stated mission of removing criminal non-citizens from the country. It is time for a hard reset. ICE agents can leave Minneapolis,” he said.
Trump blames Democrats and ‘sanctuary’ cities for unrest in Minneapolis
In a Truth Social post, Trump blamed Democratic local leaders for the unrest in Minneapolis, claiming his administration is undertaking a “Deportation effort,” which he said is obstructed in “Democrat run Sanctuary Cities and States.”
“Tragically, two American Citizens have lost their lives as a result of this Democrat ensued chaos,” Trump wrote.
In a related post continuing his thought, Trump called on Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and “EVERY Democrat Governor and Mayor in the United States to formally cooperate with the Trump administration to enforce our Nation’s laws, rather than resist and stoke the flames of Division, Chaos, and Violence.”
He further called on Congress to pass legislation ending so-called sanctuary cities, which he called “the root cause of all of these problems.”
NBA Players Association responds to fatal shooting of Pretti, saying it ‘can no longer remain silent’
The NBA Players Association said that “NBA players can no longer remain silent” following the fatal shooting of Pretti.
“Now more than ever, we must defend the right to freedom of speech and stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota protesting and risking their lives to demand justice,” the association said in a statement.
The union of NBA players said its members extend condolences to the families of Pretti and Renee Good and that, like the U.S., it is a “community enriched by its global citizens” that refuses to “let the flames of division threaten the civil liberties that are meant to protect us all.”
Sports franchises in the state — the Vikings, the Wild, the Timberwolves, the Lynx and Minnesota United FC — have all signed an open letter calling for officials to work on an “immediate deescalation of tension.”
The NBA also postponed a game scheduled for yesterday between the Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis “to prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community.”
‘The Traitors’ alum Carolyn Wiger among mourners at Pretti’s memorial
Reporting from Minneapolis
Carolyn Wiger, a former star of reality game show “The Traitors” who lives in Minnesota, was among the mourners at the site of Pretti’s killing.
She and a friend held a sign that said “STOP Justifying This.”
“This is terrifying,” Wiger said of Pretti’s killing. “How are we doing this to other humans? It just keeps getting worse and worse, and it feels helpless.”
Former colleague says Pretti was driven by a strong sense of duty
Alex Pretti was the type of person who got along with everyone and a team player who chose to work with veterans because he thought they were a particularly vulnerable population of patients, his former colleague Dr. Aasma Shaukat told NBC News.
Shaukat worked with Pretti at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, where he was initially hired in 2014 as a research assistant, she said. Pretti spent six years being trained on the job, enrolling patients and conducting interviews, she said.
“I think he was always looking for opportunities to help,” Shaukat said. “He would always hold the elevator for someone getting in or help someone who looked lost in the hospital find their way. He had a strong sense of duty.”
Shaukat wrote Pretti a letter of support when he expressed interest in nursing, and he returned to the VA hospital once he finished nursing school. They spoke over the summer, she recalled, saying Pretti seemed to be in a good place.
Shaukat said she was completely shocked to learn that Pretti was fatally shot yesterday. She said she knew him to be a young and passionate person, and she recalled that he participated in protests after a police officer killed George Floyd in 2020.
“He did have a strong sense of civic responsibility, and he was willing to stand up for things that he thought were wrong,” Shaukat said, describing Pretti as a “good citizen.”
Minnesota-based CEOs urge local, state and federal officials to ‘work together’
Executives from 60 businesses based in Minnesota asked state officials and the White House in a joint statement to “work together to find real solutions.”
The statement, released by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, addressed challenges that “created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life.” It added that Minnesota business leaders have spoken the White House, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other officials over several weeks in an effort to move forward.
“In this difficult moment for our community, we call for peace and focused cooperation among local, state and federal leaders to achieve a swift and durable solution that enables families, businesses, our employees, and communities across Minnesota to resume our work to build a bright and prosperous future,” the letter said.
Though the letter referred to yesterday’s “tragic news,” it did not specifically name Pretti or the surge of immigration operations in the state.
Chief executives from dozens of companies signed the letter, including Target, the Mayo Clinic, 3M, Best Buy, General Mills and the Minnesota Vikings.
State records contradict what Border Patrol says about the target of yesterday’s enforcement operation
Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino again pointed to a man named Jose Huerta-Chuma of Ecuador as the target of an immigration enforcement operation that ended with Pretti’s fatal shooting.
In a graphic displayed at Bovino’s news conference this afternoon, Huerta-Chuma was depicted as having a criminal history that includes domestic assault, intentional implication of bodily harm and disorderly conduct.
But the Minnesota Department of Corrections said no one by that name has ever been in its custody, and public state court records show only misdemeanor-level traffic offenses from more than a decade ago and not the serious criminal history cited by federal officials.
“DOC records further indicate that an individual by this name was previously held in federal immigration custody in a local Minnesota jail in 2018, during President Trump’s first administration,” the department said in a news release yesterday. “Any decisions regarding release from federal custody at that time would have been made by federal authorities. DOC has no information explaining why this individual was released.”
Bovino used the example to argue that “choices made by politicians” and “weaker-minded constituents” are what brought federal agents to the city.
“Agitators, rioters and anarchists prevented us from taking this individual into custody,” he said.
Gov. Walz and Border Patrol’s Bovino hold dueling briefings offering starkly different accounts
Two very different news conferences unfolded simultaneously this afternoon: one from U.S. Border Patrol leadership and one from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. They painted starkly different pictures of recent events in the state.
On one screen, Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and other state officials framed the past few weeks as a crisis caused by an unprecedented federal immigration surge. Walz pointed to the two deaths in Minnesota and demanded answers from the White House: “What is the plan? What do we need to do to get these federal agents out of our state?”
“We believe in law and order in this state, we believe in peace, and we believe that Donald Trump needs to pull these 3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another person,” Walz said.
At another news conference, Gregory Bovino of the Border Patrol presented a near-opposite narrative, one focused on law enforcement demands, public disorder and individual “choices” leading to “consequences.” Bovino said the immigration mission in Minneapolis “continues unabated” despite what he called a “preventable” tragedy. He also pushed back against questions raised by circulating witness video as “speculation,” arguing that an investigation will determine what happened. Another official at the briefing highlighted threats against agents, claiming a protester bit off part of an agent’s finger.
“When they make the choice to vilify law enforcement — calling law enforcement names like ‘Gestapo’ or using the term ‘kidnapping’ — that is a choice that is made,” Bovino said.
Mourners share hand warmers, water and food
Reporting from Minneapolis, MN
Within the growing crowd, people at the site where Pretti was killed are handing out water bottles, hand warmers and food.
Ann Cary, 58, spent the morning walking through the crowd handing out doughnuts.
“We’re portrayed as these violent protesters, and this is very grassroots,” she said. “We’re protecting people who live here. We’re protecting our neighbors and observers.”
Braving subzero temperatures, retirees mourn Pretti and warn of a country in crisis
Reporting from Minneapolis
Randi, 75, and Philip Reitan, 77, braced subzero temperatures to lay a candle for Alex Pretti at the site where he was killed yesterday.
Randi, a former teacher and attorney, said the past few weeks have been nothing like what she and her husband ever imagined for their retirement.
“We’ve never had men, masked men, running around with weapons terrorizing the country like this,” Randi Reitan said. “This is absolutely horrendous.”
Philip Reitan said he was worried for the couple’s eight grandchildren.
“We’re going to lose our country. We’re going to lose our status in the world. We’re going to lose our humanity,” he said. “We’re not going to leave the next generation the shiny beacon we need to leave them.”
Randi and Philip Reitan.
‘This is an inflection point, America,’ Walz says
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz condemned federal officials for “sullying” Pretti’s name after immigration agents shot and killed him yesterday, describing Pretti as a lawful firearm owner who was “beloved” by his community.
Walz accused the Trump administration of closing a crime scene and “sweeping away the evidence” in the fatal shooting yesterday all while denigrating Pretti. Walz asked that people overcome political bias and recognize what he described as “basic human decency.”
“This is an inflection point, America,” Walz said. “If we cannot all agree that the smearing of an American citizen and besmirching everything they stood for and asking us not to believe what we saw, I don’t know what to tell you.”
