DHS memo confirms two federal shooters, probes errant shot in Alex Pretti killing
A DHS memo to Congress confirms two federal officers — one Border Patrol agent and one Customs and Border Protection officer — each fired Glock pistols during the Nicollet Avenue killing of 37‑year‑old ICU nurse Alex Pretti, and DHS says it is leading the probe with Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI while CBP conducts an internal review; at least four Border Patrol officers on scene were wearing body cameras and involved agents have been placed on administrative leave. Plaintiffs’ newly filed declaration and bystander video and testimony allege agents used pepper spray and force on observers and saw no gun in Pretti’s hands, investigators are examining whether an agent accidentally discharged Pretti’s Sig Sauer P320 after disarming him, a court has ordered evidence preserved amid initial state‑federal access disputes, President Trump has called for an “honest investigation,” and DOJ has not opened a separate civil‑rights probe.
📌 Key Facts
- DHS notified Congress and confirmed that two federal officers fired shots in the Nicollet & 28th killing of Alex Pretti — one Border Patrol agent and one CBP officer — and investigators have body‑camera video from at least four Border Patrol agents plus bystander video; the federal agents involved have been placed on administrative leave.
- DHS is leading the primary federal probe (Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI are involved, and CBP is conducting an internal review); the Justice Department has not opened a separate civil‑rights investigation so far, and Minnesota authorities are contesting federal control as they press to maintain an independent state probe.
- A U.S. District Court judge issued a temporary restraining order requiring preservation of all evidence related to Pretti’s death, and a separate state lawsuit seeks to keep evidence preserved until state investigators can inspect it; Minnesota BCA officials say federal authorities initially denied state access even after the BCA had a judicial warrant, though state investigators have since been on scene.
- A newly filed witness declaration tied to a federal civil case specifically concerns the Nicollet & 28th (south‑side) shooting and adds live testimony to video evidence: the witness says agents used pepper spray and physical force on multiple observers immediately before the fatal shots and that they saw no gun in Pretti’s hands at any point.
- DHS is reportedly probing a theory — reported by other outlets and being reviewed by investigators — that an agent may have accidentally discharged Pretti’s Sig Sauer P320 after disarming him, which could have prompted other officers to believe they were under fire and open fire in response.
- President Trump publicly called for a “very honorable and honest investigation,” said he is watching the case, and stated he does not think Pretti intended to harm officers while also saying “you can’t have guns”; FBI Director Kash Patel asserted it’s illegal to bring a loaded gun to a protest, a claim critics note is contradicted by Minnesota and federal law.
- The shooting has prompted sharp backlash from gun‑rights groups and libertarian organizations (including the Cato Institute), which argue federal actions around armed protesters risk creating a de facto Second Amendment exception for demonstrations.
📊 Relevant Data
Venezuelan immigrants in the United States commit substantially fewer crimes than the native-born population, based on 2019 data analysis.
Venezuelan Migration, Crime, and Misperceptions — Brookings Institution
Immigrants in the United States commit crimes at lower rates than the U.S.-born population.
Explainer: Immigrants and Crime in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
U.S. economic sanctions on Venezuela have fueled economic crises leading to increased migratory outflows from the country.
Trump White House was warned sanctions on Venezuela could fuel migration — The Washington Post
Approximately 107,000 people of Somali descent lived in Minnesota in 2024, representing about 2% of the state's total population.
By the numbers: Minnesota's Somali population, according to Census data — KTTC
Federal immigration officers were involved in 19 shootings during the second Trump administration as of January 2026.
Data: Federal immigration officers involved in 19 shootings in Trump's second term — WESH
Armed demonstrations in the U.S. are nearly six times as likely to turn violent or destructive compared to unarmed demonstrations.
Armed Assembly: Guns, Demonstrations, and Political Violence in America — Everytown Research & Policy
Immigrants contributed more than $26 billion to Minnesota's economy in 2025.
Economist: Immigrants contribute $26 billion to Minnesota's economy — MPR News
📰 Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms via a DHS notification to Congress that two officers – one Border Patrol and one CBP – each fired Glock pistols during the Pretti shooting.
- Specifies that at least four Border Patrol officers on scene were wearing body cameras, in addition to bystander video already known.
- Clarifies that DHS itself is leading the primary investigation while Minnesota authorities are actively fighting to maintain an independent state probe.
- Reports that Border Patrol agents involved have now been placed on administrative leave, beyond earlier statements that they were merely reassigned.
- Highlights a New York Post–reported DHS probe into whether an agent accidentally discharged Pretti’s Sig Sauer P320 after disarming him, possibly triggering the fatal volley when other officers believed they were under fire.
- Notes that President Trump publicly said he doesn’t think Pretti came intending to harm officers but still declared, “you can’t have guns,” while FBI Director Kash Patel claimed it’s illegal to bring a loaded gun to a protest – a statement contradicted by Minnesota and federal law.
- Captures sharp backlash from gun‑rights groups and libertarian outfits like the Cato Institute, which argue the government is effectively trying to carve out a Second Amendment exception for protests.
- FOX 9 reports that two federal officers fired shots in the killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti, not just a single shooter.
- Investigators now have body-camera video from at least four Border Patrol agents on scene at the Nicollet Avenue shooting.
- President Trump is on record saying he wants a 'very honorable and honest investigation' into Pretti’s death, a framing that contrasts with prior federal efforts to tightly control evidence access.
- President Donald Trump publicly said he wants a "very honorable and honest investigation" into the killing of 37‑year‑old ICU nurse Alex Pretti and claimed he is "watching over" it.
- The White House says DHS is leading the federal probe, with Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI teaming up and CBP running an internal review; DOJ has not opened a separate civil‑rights investigation so far.
- DHS has acknowledged body‑camera video from at least four Border Patrol agents on scene.
- A U.S. District Court judge has already granted a temporary restraining order requiring the federal government to preserve all evidence related to Pretti’s death, while a separate state lawsuit seeks to keep that evidence preserved until state investigators can inspect it.
- BCA Superintendent Drew Evans says federal authorities initially denied state investigators access to the scene even after the BCA had a judicial warrant, something he said he has not seen before when jurisdiction is concurrent; BCA investigators have since been at the scene on Sunday and Tuesday.
- Clarifies that the detailed account in the new declaration specifically concerns the Nicollet & 28th shooting of Alex Pretti (the first south‑side killing), not the later Hawthorne incident.
- Shows that, in addition to video, plaintiffs now have live‑witness testimony that agents used pepper spray and physical force on multiple observers immediately before the fatal shots.
- Establishes that the witness saw no gun in Pretti’s hands at any point, adding sworn testimony to what video reviewers have already suggested.
- Documents that this declaration is already attached to a federal civil case targeting DHS leadership over Metro Surge tactics, expanding the evidentiary base beyond raw video.