Video Evidence Contradicts Official Account of Minneapolis Fatal Shooting
Video evidence reviewed by the Guardian has emerged that directly contradicts claims made by senior Trump administration officials regarding the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis. The footage shows that the 37-year-old registered nurse was holding a mobile phone, not a firearm, when he was tackled and shot on Saturday morning.
Administration's Claims Versus Video Footage
In the aftermath of the incident, which was recorded by multiple witnesses, the Department of Homeland Security released an image of a handgun. Donald Trump referred to this as "the gunman's gun" in a social media post. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated at a briefing that Pretti had "approached US border patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun", though she later declined to confirm whether Pretti had actually drawn the weapon.
Greg Bovino, a senior border patrol commander who was reprimanded by a federal judge last year for providing false information, told reporters that Pretti had approached agents with the same firearm. Bovino claimed, "The agents attempted to disarm the individual, but he violently resisted. Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, a border patrol agent fired defensive shots. This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."
Detailed Analysis of Witness Recordings
Video provided to the Guardian by a Minneapolis resident, who drove past the scene at 8.58am local time, shows Pretti standing on Nicollet Avenue in south Minneapolis. He is clearly holding up his phone as one officer reaches out and shoves him back. Pretti retreats but continues recording the officer.
The exact time of the shooting remains unconfirmed, but Minneapolis police were alerted at 9.03am, according to Police Chief Brian O'Hara, indicating the incident occurred just minutes later.
Another witness recording, obtained by Drop Site News, shows Pretti continuing to film the immigration enforcement operation on his phone. Other observers can be heard blowing whistles and honking car horns, with Pretti appearing to help direct traffic around the scene.
The same footage reveals that Pretti stepped in to defend another observer who had been shoved to the ground by a federal officer. That officer then sprayed Pretti with a chemical agent multiple times before tackling him to the street along with two other agents.
The Moment of the Shooting
At least two other witnesses recorded the subsequent events. Footage obtained by the Associated Press from further up the street, and video posted on Facebook from inside Glam Doll Donuts across the street, show seven agents quickly surrounding Pretti.
As they held him down and struck him, one officer in jeans and a grey jacket reached toward Pretti's lower back and stepped away with what appeared to be a firearm. Less than a second later, another agent drew a gun and appeared to fire a shot at Pretti from close range.
As the agents stepped back, another officer pointed a weapon at Pretti, and a volley of ten more shots rang out. Independent journalist Eoin Higgins noted that the donut shop footage suggests agents might have opened fire moments after disarming Pretti of a weapon he was legally permitted to carry but had not brandished during the encounter.
Persisting Official Narrative Despite Evidence
Despite the clear video evidence showing federal agents had killed an observer who was merely recording their activities, Secretary Noem maintained the administration's version of events at a briefing originally scheduled to discuss winter storms on Saturday evening.
After referring to Pretti as an "armed suspect", Noem added the observably false claim that he was "brandishing" the weapon when approaching federal agents. "This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage," Noem said, "and to kill law enforcement."
Family Response and Call for Truth
In a statement to local news outlet Kare 11, Pretti's parents expressed their devastation and anger. "The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting," they said. "Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump's murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper-sprayed."
They concluded with an emotional plea: "Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man." While Pretti was legally licensed to possess a firearm, it remains unclear whether he had one on his person during the incident, and the videos do not show him ever holding a weapon in his hand.
