There are more and more sparks on the Minneapolis-Washington line. State and federal authorities disagree not only on their interpretation of events in the death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti. They have fundamentally different views on what exactly happened and what caused it.
Border Patrol agents shot Pretti on Saturday during a tense confrontation between observers and federal agents that led to several violent clashes amid the Trump administration's escalating nationwide immigration crackdown. His death came less than a month after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good. The shooting sites were approximately 3 km apart, and after both incidents, protesters filled the streets.
“What we see is a person waving a cell phone, who is just there with a cell phone, helping someone up, a woman, her parents indicate, who has slipped,” Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar said on NBC. “So when I hear Trump administration officials describe this video in a way that just isn't true, I think, 'Your eyes don't lie.'”
Amid conflicting accounts of the incident — including whether at any point Pretti had his hand near his gun — footage reviewed and analyzed by several media outlets, including The New York Times, shows that the item Pretti was holding in his hand was the phone he was using to film the incident. He also tried to help a woman who was pushed to the ground by border guard officers. According to an analysis of the video by The Washington Post, federal agents apparently seized Pretti's gun moments before one of the agents shot him.
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“What we see is a person waving a cell phone, who is just there with a cell phone, helping someone up, a woman, her parents indicate, who has slipped,” Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar said on NBC. “So when I hear Trump administration officials describe this video in a way that is simply not true, I think, 'Your eyes don't lie.'
On Sunday, Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino accused Pretti of “interfering” in a law enforcement investigation. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti committed a “crime” by obstructing law enforcement. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche blamed local government officials for what he called a “completely avoidable” event.
The Trump administration in defense of the services
But Minnesota officials see something different in the video. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said Pretti was legally armed and exercising his constitutional rights, and Klobuchar told NBC that the video showed him holding a cellphone and helping the woman to her feet, and was not acting aggressively toward officers.
Shortly after Saturday's shooting, Noem offered one version of events: She said Pretti “approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun” and that he “violently resisted” when officers tried to disarm him.
Noem then said on Fox News Sunday that agents on Saturday “clearly feared for their lives” before shooting Pretti. She and other federal officials alleged that Pretti approached agents with weapons.
“We know that he showed up on the scene and obstructed law enforcement, which is against federal law. That's a crime. Once he did that, interacting with the officers who were trying to stop him, he became aggressive and resisted the entire time,” Noem said. “The officers used their training, followed protocols and feared for their lives and the lives of those around them.”
Flowers, candles and photos left at a makeshift memorial for Alex Pretti in south Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 25, 2026.EPA/CRAIG LASSIG / PAP
Despite Noem's claim that the agents feared for their lives, O'Hara, appearing on CBS Sunday morning, said that he saw no evidence that Pretti brandished a gun during the encounter.
“In the United States, you have the right to own a firearm under the Second Amendment,” O'Hara said during an interview with host Margaret Brennan. “The state of Minnesota has some restrictions on this, but everything we see and know indicates that he did not violate any of those restrictions.”
But in a Sunday interview on CNN's “State of the Union” [“Stan Państwa”] Bovino said Second Amendment rights “are irrelevant when it comes to rioting and assaulting, delaying, obstructing and obstructing law enforcement officers.”
Noem apparently suggested that the fact that Pretti had “a gun and ammunition, not a banner” meant the scene was a “violent riot.”
“We have an individual who shows up with a gun and is using it to attack law enforcement officers,” she said Saturday of the situation.
Minnesota's governor doesn't mince his words
Former President Barack Obama also said the Trump administration's explanation “appears to be directly inconsistent with the video evidence.” Pretti family members accused the White House of spreading 'disgusting lies'.
As with the Good shooting, federal and state officials disagree on who is responsible — and how to manage the fallout.
On Sunday, Blanche told NBC that Pretti's shooting was a “tragedy,” but added that “it could have been completely avoided if we had a governor, a mayor, leaders in Washington and Minnesota who really cared about their citizens.”
But Gov. Tim Walz and local officials say the Trump administration caused the chaos. Walz sent the state National Guard to Minneapolis after Pretti's killing, which he called “disgusting.”
“Just spoke to the White House after another horrific shooting this morning involving federal agents. Minnesota is fed up with this. It's disgusting,” Walz wrote on X [dawniej Twitterze]. “The president must end this operation. Remove thousands of aggressive, untrained officers from Minnesota. Immediately.”
“This administration and everyone involved in this operation should reflect. They should reflect now and ask themselves, what are they actually achieving?” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, said during a news conference Saturday. “If the goal was to achieve peace and security, these actions are having the exact opposite effect. If the goal was to achieve peace and prosperity, these actions are having the exact opposite effect.”
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
