On January 24, 2026, 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti was fatally shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis during heightened protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) actions. Pretti, a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry, was an intensive care nurse, neighbor, and member of his community. His death has shaken communities nationwide and sparked fierce debate over the appropriate use of force by federal law enforcement.
According to video evidence and multiple eyewitness accounts, Pretti was not behaving as a violent or imminent threat at the time he was shot. Verified footage shows him holding a phone and recording federal agents and fellow protestors moments before officers tackled him to the ground. In the seconds that followed, agents fired multiple shots, killing him. Independent video analysis suggests Pretti did not brandish or attempt to fire his weapon, and some visual evidence indicates that federal agents removed Pretti’s firearm from his holster before the first shot was fired.
Pretti’s family, friends, and witnesses all dispute early federal claims that he posed a dangerous threat. They describe him as calm, cooperative, and more concerned with helping others and observing events than with escalating violence. These accounts, supported by video evidence, raise serious questions about how and why lethal force was used in this situation.
It is critical to affirm that the legal right to carry a firearm, whether at a protest or in public generally, is protected under longstanding legal principles. Possession of a firearm by itself does not equate to hostile intent, nor should it automatically justify the use of lethal force by law enforcement. Carrying a gun, so long as a person is lawfully permitted to do so and is not acting in a manner that presents a clear and immediate danger, must be treated as a constitutionally protected right rather than a presumptive threat.
In the Pretti case, there is a distinct and troubling gap between the narrative officials offered in the immediate aftermath and what independent footage and witness testimony appear to show. Law-abiding citizens who exercise their rights to carry should not be met with lethal force unless there is an undeniable threat to life. The circumstances surrounding Pretti’s death demand a transparent, thorough investigation, accountability for any misuse of force, and policy reforms that protect both public safety and constitutional liberties.
Alex Pretti was more than a statistic; he was a caregiver, a neighbor, and a person who believed in engaging with his community. Regardless of one’s views on immigration policy or protest tactics, we must insist that the right to carry a firearm lawfully is not a justification for deadly force when no threat exists. Our legal system and our moral compass require no less.
