After Border Patrol killing of Alex Pretti, South Minneapolis street turns from eerie quiet to angry vigil
After Border Patrol agents killed Alex Pretti in South Minneapolis, the intersection of 26th and Nicollet shifted over hours from a frigid, near‑empty street with boarded businesses and heavy law enforcement presence to a scene of mourners, makeshift memorials and chanting protesters. The killing prompted an angry vigil and a wider response, including activation of the National Guard.
📌 Key Facts
- The article gives a street-level, time-sequenced account of several hours at 26th & Nicollet in South Minneapolis after Alex Pretti was killed, showing a shift from near-empty sidewalks and heavy police presence in subzero cold to the arrival of mourners and chanting protesters.
- The scene featured boarded businesses, flashing police/Border Patrol squads and makeshift memorials at the site.
- Neighbors, business patrons and demonstrators are quoted directly, expressing shock, fear and anger at another federal shooting by agents.
- The piece highlights a stark sensory and emotional contrast between a frigid, almost silent morning and an evening of vigils and outraged chants.
- This street-level reporting provides human reactions and physical details that were missing from earlier, policy-focused coverage.
📊 Relevant Data
Armed demonstrations in the United States are associated with a higher risk of violent escalation and political violence.
Armed Assembly: Guns, Demonstrations, and Political Violence in America — Everytown Research & Policy
Venezuelan households contribute more than USD 10.6 billion every year to the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean, with significant positive economic impacts in host countries including the United States.
Venezuelan Migrants Add Over USD 10 Billion a Year to Regional Economies — International Organization for Migration
Venezuelan immigrants commit substantially fewer crimes than the native-born population in host countries, based on 2019 data analysis.
Venezuelan Migration, Crime, and Misperceptions — Brookings Institution
Venezuelan migration to the US is driven by political turmoil, economic crisis, and recent US policies such as the termination of Temporary Protected Status, leading to increased deportations.
Maduro is in jail, but Venezuelans facing immigration limbo feel it's still not safe to go back — NBC News
Since the second Trump administration began, there have been 16 shooting incidents involving immigration agents, resulting in 4 deaths and at least 7 injuries.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Provides a street‑level, time‑sequenced account of several hours at 26th & Nicollet after Alex Pretti was killed, from near‑empty sidewalks and heavy police presence in subzero cold to the arrival of mourners and chanting protesters.
- Captures direct quotes and emotions from neighbors, business patrons and demonstrators who describe shock, fear, and anger at yet another federal shooting in their neighborhood.
- Details the physical feel of the scene — boarded businesses, flashing squads, makeshift memorials, and the contrast between a frigid, almost silent morning and an evening of vigils and outraged chants — which was not in prior policy‑focused coverage.