Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA, joined anti-ICE protests Saturday morning at 26th Street and Let Avenue. Federal agents shot him dead around 11 a.m., marking the second such fatality this month after Renee Good’s killing two weeks prior.
Pretti held a valid Minnesota firearms permit and carried a handgun legally, but the family insists videos show him with a phone, aiding fellow demonstrators.
Chaos followed fast. Hundreds marched through south Minneapolis, facing tear gas and flash bangs from officers dispersing the crowd. Local rapper Nur-D faced rough detention nearby, and reporter Jana Shortal reported being shoved and pepper-sprayed.
Governor Tim Walz called it sickening, urging President Trump to pull thousands of agents from the state right away.
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This stems from Operation Metro Surge, a Trump push netting claims of 10,000 arrests since his January 2025 inauguration. Protests boiled over after Good’s death, with businesses shuttering on Friday in a no-work, no-shop strike across the Twin Cities. Walz activated the National Guard amid fears of more violence.
Feds vs. State: Probe Battle Heats Up
Authorities clashed over the scene. Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension arrived with a judge-signed warrant, only for federal agents to block access and allegedly remove items. Superintendent Drew Evans slammed the move, while Walz vowed a state-led investigation, doubting federal accounts.
Trump fired back on Truth Social, posting gun photos from the site and accusing Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey of inciting insurrection with weak policing.
He questioned why locals stayed on the sidelines as agents faced a “confrontational crowd.” DHS labeled Pretti a domestic terrorist, a tag his parents called sickening lies, contradicted by bystander footage.
A Minnesota judge slapped a temporary restraining order on federal agencies to preserve evidence. AG Keith Ellison vowed legal fights to boot ICE and Border Patrol statewide. Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, pledged to block DHS funding bills lacking ICE reforms.
Protests Swell as Raids Roll On
Sunday vigils drew crowds chanting Pretti’s name at the shooting spot, blending grief with calls to halt raids. Hundreds of businesses stayed closed, and events were canceled as resistance grew statewide. Doctors and friends hailed Pretti’s sharp mind and love for the outdoors, painting him far from the agitator the feds described.
Mayor Frey pushed for court relief to end the “harmful operation,” while cold snaps did little to chill turnout. Walz’s White House plea went unanswered publicly, but tensions spiked with every flashbang echo.
Raids continue, pitting Trump’s deportation drive against sanctuary-city pushback in a flashpoint city. Pretti’s family seeks truth amid dueling narratives, as Minnesota braces for whatever comes next on these frozen streets. One nurse’s stand became a rallying cry, drawing national attention to the divide.
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