Alex Pretti’s Shooter Claimed They Fired the Fatal Shots in Self-Defense

Less than a month after a man named Keith Porter was killed by an off-duty ICE agent and just little over two weeks after Minneapolis mourned the loss of Renee Good, a resident of the state who was fatally shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Jan. 7, 2026, the many have continued reeling over the death of another one of its own, Alex Pretti.

Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was gunned down while attempting to help a woman who fell down during an ICE protest. His death has since been discussed and debated about why he was shot. What's more, the identity of who shot Pretti is a mystery.

Here's everything to know.

At around 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24, Pretti was involved in an argument with several ICE agents. Video footage showed him standing alongside other protestors who opposed the government’s immigration enforcement tactics. During their altercation, Pretti was recorded holding his phone up to the agents. According to ABC News, he seemed to have been trying to record a nearby detention by immigration authorities.

The video further shows the protest becoming violent for Pretti. At one point, one officer is seen pushing him as another eventually pepper sprays him and several other civilians. Pretti appeared to raise his hand to resist and show he wasn't a threat to the officers. While trying to maintain his composure, he leaned on another civilian before three officers held him down as another group of officers surrounded him.

The brawl reportedly involved one agent repeatedly striking Pretti. Then, another officer appears to take out their handgun as another agent removed Pretti's gun, which reportedly matched the weapon the agent was carrying. Soon after Pretti's gun was removed, shots fired as at least one officer stepped away from him. The first shot was followed by three additional shots and six more after that. By the 10th shot, all six of the ICE agents had stepped away from Pretti.

At the time of publishing, none of the agents who were involved in Pretti's shooting have been identified. According to a sworn affidavit obtained by ABC News, a doctor who says they treated Pretti at the scene, Pretti had at least three bullet wounds in his back, an additional wound on his upper chest, and another possible wound on his neck.

Since Pretti's death, claims surrounding his death quickly emerged. According to NBC News, one of the topics of contention was if his death was intentional or an act of self defense. Kristi Noem, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, claimed the latter and said officers with U.S. Border Patrol were conducting an operation when they were approached by Pretti. They claimed the agent who shot him did so only after he allegedly turned violent after the agent tried to disarm him.

The video seemingly paints a different picture, as Pretti didn't appear to pose a threat to the agents before shots were fired. The Minneapolis native's parents, Michael and Susan, have also spoken against the federal officials' accounts of what happened and called the "lies" told about their son "sickening and reprehensible."

“We are heartbroken but also very angry," the parents wrote in a statement posted to Sen. Bernie Sanders's X (formerly Twitter) account. "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 at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact."

“I do not throw around the hero term lightly,' the added. "However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman. The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs.”