Trump Says Minneapolis Border Patrol Agent 'Had to Protect' ICE Amid Alleged Lack of Local Police Support After Fatal Shooting
Federal Border Patrol and other federal immigration agents shot and killed a man during an enforcement operation in south Minneapolis near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue; witness video shows agents tackling the man before gunfire, and DHS says a handgun and two magazines were recovered. President Trump defended the agents on Truth Social, saying they "had to protect themselves" and alleging local officials had "called off" police support for ICE, while Gov. Tim Walz, Mayor Jacob Frey and protesters condemned the shooting and demanded the federal operation be ended.
đź“Ś Key Facts
- On Jan. 24, 2026, federal immigration officers/Border Patrol shot a man in south Minneapolis near 26th Street W and Nicollet Ave; the man later died.
- Initial reports conflicted on the victim's age, but later accounts identified him as a 37-year-old white Minneapolis resident believed to be a U.S. citizen; Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said evidence indicates he was a lawful gun owner with a permit.
- Witness and CBS‑verified video shows several agents tackling a man to the ground, at least one shot heard, and multiple shots fired toward him as he lay on the pavement; separate footage shows protesters confronting federal officers and officers deploying flash‑bangs and chemical irritants.
- DHS and federal officials said a handgun and two magazines were recovered, circulated a photo of the handgun, and characterized the shooting as officers firing 'defensive shots' after the man 'violently resisted' and lacked ID; DHS also described the individual as posing a threat of a possible 'massacre' of law enforcement.
- Reporting highlighted a sharp discrepancy between the federal account (portraying an armed assailant and possible undocumented threat) and local authorities' early view of the victim as a local permit‑holding gun owner.
- The shooting occurred after massive protests the prior day against the federal immigration operation and is the latest in a series of recent federal officer-involved shootings in Minneapolis this month, which critics say has left the city 'on edge.'
- Gov. Tim Walz called the incident 'sickening,' said he had spoken with the White House and demanded President Trump 'pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota' and end the operation; Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also urged the operation be halted and held a news conference.
- The White House briefed President Trump, who posted on Truth Social saying Border Patrol agents 'had to protect themselves,' asking why local police 'weren’t allowed to protect ICE Officers,' accusing local leaders of having 'called them off' and alleging they had 'incited Insurrection,' while also broadening political claims tied to the Minnesota operation.
đź“° Source Timeline (10)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 24, 2026
7:40 PM
Trump cites armed suspect, lack of police support following fatal Border Patrol shooting in Minneapolis
New information:
- Trump posted on Truth Social that the Minneapolis Border Patrol agents 'had to protect themselves' due to a purported lack of support and restrictions on local police, asking 'Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?'
- He explicitly accused Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz of having 'called them off' and of 'inciting Insurrection' with their rhetoric.
- Trump broadened his Minnesota narrative by claiming Rep. Ilhan Omar has '$34 Million Dollars' in her account and alleging 'Tens of Billions of Dollars' stolen in state social‑services fraud, tying the Minneapolis surge to recovering 'Billions of Dollars' and asserting that '12,000 Illegal Alien Criminals' have been arrested and removed from the state.
7:16 PM
Trump briefed on Border Patrol-involved shooting as Minneapolis mayor demands end to enforcement operation
New information:
- White House official says President Trump has been briefed on the Minneapolis Border Patrol‑involved shooting.
- Fox confirms the victim is a 37‑year‑old White Minneapolis resident believed to be a U.S. citizen.
- DHS tells Fox the suspect had a handgun and two magazines, and claims the individual 'violently resisted' efforts to disarm him and lacked ID, calling it a situation where someone 'wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.'
- Mayor Jacob Frey’s midday press conference is quoted at length, including his direct appeal to Trump to end the operation and pull federal agents from Minneapolis.
- Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other blue‑state governors publicly call for Trump to 'put a stop to ICE' and to 'stop the occupations, stop the killings,' tying broader Democratic opposition directly to this shooting.
7:01 PM
Man shot dead by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis
New information:
- Confirms the man shot on Jan. 24 has died and was a 37‑year‑old white male Minneapolis resident, believed to be a U.S. citizen, with only traffic tickets on record.
- Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara says evidence indicates the victim was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.
- NPR explicitly frames this as the third shooting involving Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis this year, after the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Macklin Good and the Jan. 14 wounding of Julio Cesar Sosa‑Celia.
- Gov. Tim Walz publicly declared 'Minnesota has had it. This is sickening.' and said he spoke with 'someone from the White House,' calling on President Trump to end the immigration operation immediately.
- NPR highlights the sharp discrepancy between DHS’s portrayal of an undocumented armed assailant bent on a 'massacre' and local police’s early view of the dead man as a local citizen with a carry permit.
7:00 PM
Immigration officers’ latest deadly shooting in Minneapolis tests frayed nerves
New information:
- Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the 37‑year‑old man killed was believed to be a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.
- DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that federal officers fired 'defensive shots' after a man with a handgun approached them and 'violently resisted' when they tried to disarm him.
- Chief O’Hara publicly urged both the public and federal law enforcement to remain peaceful and called on federal agencies to operate with 'discipline, humanity and integrity.'
- The article describes on‑scene protests immediately after the shooting, including officers deploying flash‑bangs and tear gas, an officer mocking protesters with 'Boo hoo,' and agents shoving a protester into a car.
- Gov. Tim Walz said he had been in contact with the White House and publicly urged President Trump to 'pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.'
6:01 PM
A man is fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis
New information:
- NPR confirms federal agents have shot and killed a 51-year-old man in Minneapolis, describing it as 'another' fatal federal shooting in the city.
- The piece timestamps the incident as current as of January 24, 2026, reinforcing that the second fatal shooting has now occurred within weeks of the Renee Good killing.
5:33 PM
Another person was shot in Minneapolis. Here's what we know so far.
New information:
- Confirms via a U.S. official that the man shot by federal immigration agents near Nicollet Avenue and 26th Street on Saturday is dead.
- DHS officials say the man had a firearm and two magazines, though it is not yet known if the weapon was ever brandished before officers opened fire.
- CBS-verified video shows several officers struggling with a man on the ground, followed by gunshots, and separate footage shows protesters confronting federal officers as chemical irritants are deployed.
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz publicly called the shooting 'sickening,' said 'Minnesota has had it,' and demanded that the President end the operation and 'pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota.'
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O'Hara, and separately Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, are scheduled to hold news conferences later in the day.
5:22 PM
Man shot by federal officers during Minneapolis immigration crackdown has died, hospital record shows
New information:
- A hospital record obtained by the Associated Press shows the 51-year-old man shot by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis on Saturday has died.
- DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told AP the man had a firearm with two magazines and described the situation as 'evolving.'
- DHS circulated a photo of a handgun it says was on the person who was shot.
- AP describes on-the-ground reactions after the shooting, including protesters confronting officers and one officer responding 'Boo hoo' as he walked away.
4:28 PM
Person shot in federal agent confrontation in South Minneapolis
New information:
- Witness video shows about six agents tackling a man to the ground before at least one shot is heard, followed by multiple shots fired toward him as he lies on the pavement.
- Gov. Tim Walz publicly called the incident another 'sickening' shooting and said he spoke to the White House, demanding that Trump 'pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota' and 'end this operation.'
- The article places the shooting geographically at 26th Street W and Nicollet Ave. in South Minneapolis and confirms it occurred Saturday morning.
- An administration official says a gun was recovered at the scene and that the person was armed, though his condition remains unknown.
- The article explicitly links the incident to massive protests the prior day in Minneapolis, where thousands marched and hundreds of businesses closed over the immigration operation.
4:21 PM
Another person shot by federal agents in Minneapolis
New information:
- MS Now attributes details of the incident to the Minneapolis Star Tribune and notes that MS Now itself has not yet verified the eyewitness video.
- The article reproduces Gov. Tim Walz’s X post in full and emphasizes his characterization of the agents as 'violent, untrained officers' and his demand that the president 'pull' them out of Minnesota.
- It reiterates that the shooting is part of a pattern of federal incidents that have left the state 'on edge' following the ICE killing of Renee Good and a broader 'large and aggressive' federal presence.