In Minneapolis, Minnesota, federal agents again shot and killed a man in his 30s. It came just 17 days after a woman in her 30s was shot dead by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent earlier this month. As the Trump administration's hard-line immigration enforcement operation proceeds, tensions between the federal and state governments are reaching a fever pitch.
According to a compilation of reports by CNN and the New York Times (NYT) on the 25th local time, around 9 a.m. the previous day in south Minneapolis, Alex Pretty, 37, was shot by Border Patrol agents and died. Pretty was a U.S. citizen who worked as an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse at a local Veterans Affairs hospital.
In the United States, a fierce battle is underway over what happened. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement right after the incident that "an armed man approached agents and, carrying a 9mm handgun and two magazines, tried to attempt a massacre," asserting self-defense. Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol chief, said, "Agents attempted to disarm him, encountered resistance, and returned fire."
But footage from the scene, witness accounts, and media analyses were entirely different from the authorities' explanation. The NYT, after a close analysis of the video, reported that "what Pretty was holding in his hand just before the shooting was not a gun but a cellphone." The video shows several agents pinning Pretty to the ground, punching him, and then firing. The NYT analyzed that "an agent fired at a fallen man at close range, and at least 10 rounds appear to have been fired within five seconds."
Minneapolis police said Pretty was a lawful gun owner with no prior record. Police Chief Brian O'Hara said, "The deceased man was a citizen with no criminal record other than a traffic violation and had a permit to carry."
President Donald Trump moved to defend the federal agents. On the day of the incident, Trump posted photos on his social media platform Truth Social of a handgun and magazines believed to be Pretty's, claiming they "were loaded and ready to fire." He then asked, "Why didn't local police protect ICE agents?" and accused Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Mayor Jacob Frey of "inciting insurrection with an arrogant investigation."
Gov. Walz reacted angrily. In an emergency news conference, he dismissed the DHS announcement as "a lie and nonsense," and demanded that "the president must immediately withdraw untrained, violent agents from Minnesota." He called the White House chief of staff to protest and signaled an independent state-level investigation. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said it is struggling to secure evidence because federal agents are blocking access to the scene and has even obtained a search warrant.
Downtown Minneapolis, which had already been shaken by a prior civilian shooting, fell into turmoil again. Immediately after the incident, hundreds of protesters gathered at the scene, demanding the withdrawal of federal agents. Authorities fired tear gas and flash-bangs in a bid to disperse them by force. Earlier, on the 7th, in Minnesota, a woman in her 30s, Renee Good, was shot dead in front of her home by an ICE agent, sparking large protests. Professional sports teams including the Minnesota Timberwolves postponed games over safety concerns.