South Minneapolis woke up to shock and grief early Saturday after federal agents fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti during a tense encounter on Nicollet Avenue. The shooting happened just before dawn and quickly drew a heavy law enforcement response, followed by an outpouring of anger and questions from the community.
Federal officials said Pretti was armed with a handgun and had two loaded magazines on him when agents confronted him. The Department of Homeland Security stated that an agent fired his weapon in self-defense. A photo of the recovered gun was later released by the agency. Pretti was pronounced dead at the scene.
Video shared online shows several federal agents pinning Pretti to the ground moments before gunshots rang out. That footage spread fast and fueled concern among residents, many of whom gathered at the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue as the morning unfolded.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that the man killed was a 37-year-old white male with no serious criminal history. According to O’Hara, a review of records showed only minor issues, mostly parking-related violations. Other law enforcement sources backed up that assessment.
Authorities also confirmed that Pretti was a lawful gun owner and held a valid permit to carry. Records show he attended the University of Minnesota and earned a Minnesota nursing license in 2021. That license is still active and set to expire in March 2026, adding another layer of complexity to public reaction around the case.
As news of the shooting spread, the scene shifted. Police vehicles slowly pulled back while crowds grew larger. Protesters blocked traffic and marched along 26th Street. Nearby restaurants opened their doors, offering warmth, coffee, and a place to regroup as temperatures dropped.
The shooting marked the second fatal encounter involving federal agents in Minnesota during a broader immigration enforcement push across the state. It also landed in the middle of a heated national fight over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. In Washington, a narrowly passed House bill to boost DHS funding now faces an uncertain future in the Senate, with the threat of a partial government shutdown looming.
U.S. Representative Angie Craig publicly called on Senate Democrats to reject the funding bill. In a blunt statement online, she described DHS as “lawless” and urged lawmakers to cut off funding, intensifying the political pressure surrounding the agency as this investigation continues.
Federal authorities have not released the name of the agent involved, and many details about what led up to the shooting remain unclear. For now, south Minneapolis is left with unanswered questions, a grieving community, and a case that continues to draw national attention.
