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Carrying
Legally,
Killed
by ICE:
A
Minneapolis
Case
Tests
Enforcement
and
Rights
Tanya
Somerfield
-
Immigration/Law
Tell Us
USA News
Network
MINNEAPOLIS
- The
fatal
shooting
of Alex
Jeffrey
Pretti,
a
37-year-old
ICU
nurse
and
lawful
gun
owner,
by
federal
immigration
agents
in
Minneapolis
has
sparked
intense
debate
over
police
tactics
toward
armed
citizens
following
state
law.
Pretti
was
killed
on
January
24,
2026,
near
26th
Street
and
Nicollet
Avenue
in the
Whittier
neighborhood
during a
federal
immigration
enforcement
operation.
Minneapolis
Police
Chief
Brian
O'Hara
confirmed
Pretti
held a
valid
Minnesota
permit
to carry
a
handgun,
had no
criminal
record,
and was
legally
entitled
to
possess
it
publicly,
including
at a
protest.
Legal
Carry
Status
Pretti's
family
and
state
officials
have
verified
his
concealed
carry
permit
was
active,
with no
violations
of
Minnesota's
rules.
Video
shows
him
holding
a phone
while
intervening
to help
a woman
shoved
by an
agent;
he had a
holstered
handgun
that
agents
later
seized
during a
struggle.
Minnesota
Superintendent
of the
Bureau
of
Criminal
Apprehension
(BCA),
Drew
Evans,
stated
the
agency
obtained
a
warrant
to
investigate
but was
initially
blocked
by DHS
from
full
access
to the
scene.
Under
state
law, a
valid
permit
allows
carrying
in
public
spaces
like
this
residential
area,
absent
specific
prohibitions.
Incident
Timeline
DHS
reports
say
agents
tried to
take
Pretti
into
custody
after he
resisted
during a
scuffle;
a Border
Patrol
agent
yelled
“He's
got a
gun!”
multiple
times,
and two
agents
fired
approximately
10 shots
in under
five
seconds,
striking
Pretti
at least
three
times in
the
back,
plus
wounds
to the
chest
and
possibly
neck.
Forensic
audio
and
video
analysis
confirm
the
rapid
gunfire
after
agents
pinned
him
down.
Pretti's
family
disputes
the
federal
account,
stating
videos
show him
with a
phone
raised
defensively,
protecting
a woman
from
pepper
spray,
before
being
dragged
down and
disarmed.
“Alex is
clearly
not
holding
a
firearm
when he
is
attacked...
He has
[a]
phone in
right
hand and
his left
hand...
raised
in a
defensive
gesture,”
the
family
said.
Family
and
Advocate
Responses
“He was
a father
figure,
working
to make
a
difference,”
said his
sister
Micayla
Pretti.
Community
leaders,
including
CAIR-MN,
demand a
full
state-led
probe,
citing
patterns
of
federal
overreach
in local
neighborhoods.
Former
DHS
official
John
Cohen
noted
videos
show no
initial
threat
from
Pretti
approaching
agents.
Investigation
Status
DHS
acknowledges
body-worn
camera
footage
from
about 30
agents
exists
and is
under
review,
but a
federal
judge
recently
ordered
its
preservation
amid
disputes
over
state
access.
The BCA
continues
gathering
evidence
despite
initial
barriers;
findings
may go
to local
prosecutors.
No
public
word on
administrative
leave
for the
agents
involved.
Broader
Implications
Pretti's
death
highlights
tensions
between
federal
gun
threat
assessments
and
state
carry
rights,
especially
when
video
shows a
holstered,
permitted
weapon
amid
rapid
escalation.
As
probes
unfold,
his
family
and
supporters
seek the
central
truth:
Did a
lawful
handgun
justify
lethal
force
seconds
after
disarming,
or did
tactics
fail?
A family
mourns,
a city
demands
footage,
and
Minnesota's
permit
laws
stand at
the
tragedy's
core.
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