MINNEAPOLIS, USA — Family members and federal officials offered differing accounts on Sunday, January 26, 2026, following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old man, Alex Pretti, by a United States Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis, as authorities continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding the encounter.
The man, identified by relatives as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, was an intensive care nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital and an employee of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, according to his family. Hospital records obtained by the Associated Press confirmed his age and death.
Pretti, a United States citizen born in Illinois, had no criminal record, according to court documents cited by his family, and had only received traffic citations in the past.
Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz, said in a social media post that he had been in contact with the White House after the shooting.
Conflicting Accounts of the Encounter
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that Mr. Pretti was shot after he “approached” Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Officials did not specify whether he had pointed the weapon.
Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, said that the man had approached officers while armed.
Bystander videos that circulated shortly after the shooting show Mr. Pretti holding a mobile phone. None of the recordings appears to show a visible weapon.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said that Mr. Pretti “approached” officers while armed and “violently resisted” them.
His family acknowledged that he owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed firearm in Minnesota. They said, however, that they had never known him to carry it.
Brian O’Hara, the Minneapolis police chief, told reporters that Mr. Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a valid permit.
Video Analysis by The New York Times
A frame-by-frame examination of bystander footage by The New York Times challenges key claims about the moments leading up to the fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti.
The analysis of the videos submitted by Devon Lum, Haley Willis, Alexander Cardia, Dmitriy Khavin and Ainara Tiefenthäler shows Mr Pretti holding a mobile phone and moving through a crowd when federal agents confronted him.
In the reviewed footage, he does not appear to be brandishing a weapon.
The videos document officers using pepper spray and tackling Mr. Pretti to the ground before shots were fired. In several clips, agents are seen restraining him on the pavement while he remains holding his phone.
At no point in the analysed footage is a firearm clearly visible in his hands, according to the newspaper’s assessment. In some sequences, a weapon appears to be recovered only after he had been brought to the ground.
The newspaper said its findings contradict public statements made by senior Trump administration officials about the encounter.
Family Seeks Information
Mr. Pretti’s parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, who live in Colorado, said they learned of the shooting from an Associated Press reporter. After watching video footage, they believed the man shown was their son and began contacting authorities.
“I can’t get any information from anybody,” Michael Pretti said on Saturday. “The police, they said call Border Patrol, Border Patrol’s closed, the hospitals won’t answer any questions.”
The family later contacted the Hennepin County Medical Examiner, which they said confirmed that a body matching their son’s name and description was in its custody.
As of Saturday evening, they said no federal law enforcement agency had formally contacted them.
In a written statement released after senior administration officials described their son as a “domestic terrorist,” the family said: “The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting.”
They added that videos showed him holding his phone and shielding a woman who was being pepper-sprayed.
“Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man,” the statement said.
Background and Activism
Relatives said Alex Pretti had been distressed by federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis and had taken part in protests following the January 7 killing of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
“He cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset,” Michael Pretti said.
“He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street.”
Two weeks before his death, his parents said they had urged him to be cautious during demonstrations.
“We had this discussion with him two weeks ago or so,” his father said. “That go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid.”
His former wife, who declined to be named, told the Associated Press that he had participated in protests following the 2020 killing of George Floyd.
She said he could be outspoken at demonstrations but was not physically confrontational.
She also said he had obtained a permit to carry a concealed firearm about three years earlier.
Education and Career
Alex Pretti grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he attended Preble High School, played multiple sports, joined the Boy Scouts and sang in the Green Bay Boy Choir, according to his family.
He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, society and the environment. After working as a research scientist, he returned to school to train as a registered nurse.
At the time of his death, he worked as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital.
“Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends, and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse,” his family said in a statement reported by CNN.
Neighbours’ Recollections
Pretti lived alone in a four-unit condominium building about two miles from where he was shot. Neighbours described him as quiet and helpful.
“He’s a wonderful person,” said Sue Gitar, who lived in the same building. “He has a great heart.”
She said he often assisted neighbours when problems arose and was surprised by claims that he might carry a pistol.
“I never thought of him as a person who carried a gun,” Ms. Gitar said.
Residents said he occasionally went to shooting ranges but did not appear to carry firearms in daily life.
Reactions to Prosecutor’s Remarks
The shooting prompted debate online after Bill Essayli, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, posted on X: “If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you.”
The National Rifle Association criticised the remark in a response on the platform.
“This sentiment from the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California is dangerous and wrong,” the organisation said.
“Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens.”
Personal Life and Interests
Family members said Mr. Pretti was an avid outdoorsman, a competitive cyclist and devoted owner of a Catahoula Leopard dog that had died about a year earlier. He also took pride in maintaining his car and home.
His parents said that in their last conversation, a few days before his death, he told them about repairing his garage door and tipping a Latino worker $100.
Susan Pretti said her son was concerned about environmental policy.
“He hated that, you know, people were just trashing the land,” she said. “He was an outdoorsman… He loved this country, but he hated what people were doing to it.”
Federal authorities have not released further details on the investigation. Officials said the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under review.
