Minneapolis shooting live updates: Witness describes shooting in federal court filing
Gov. Walz lambasted federal officials for trying to “spin” the narrative.
A 37-year-old man was shot and killed Saturday morning in Minneapolis — the second shooting of a U.S. citizen this month by federal agents in the city.
The shooting of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, ratcheted up tensions, as protesters clashed in the streets with law enforcement in the aftermath of the shooting.
The incident followed the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, on Jan. 7.
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Jan 24, 2026, 11:49 PM EST
Jan 24, 2026, 11:08 PM EST
Here’s how the news is developing.
Jan 24, 11:08 pm
What we know about the latest shooting by federal agents
The second fatal shooting this month of an American citizen in Minneapolis at the hands of a federal agent has ratcheted up tensions in the city once again — and led to disputed accounts of what happened.
Alex Pretti, 37, an ICU nurse at a VA hospital, was fatally shot by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent on Saturday morning.
The incident was captured on bystander videos that appear to show federal agents spraying Pretti with a substance and pinning him to the ground before the shooting. A witness in a federal court filing said Pretti was one of three people pepper-sprayed by agents and was attempting to help a woman up when he was tackled by the agents.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims Pretti approached officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. When officers attempted to disarm him, he “violently resisted.” DHS said an officer fired “defensive shots,” killing Pretti.
Local officials have disputed this characterization of events and criticized federal officials, accusing them of rushing to “spin” the story. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Commander at Large Greg Bovino have claimed, without providing further evidence, that Pretti arrived at the scene “to inflict maximum damage on individuals.” Noem told reporters that his actions amounted to “domestic terrorism.”
The Minneapolis police chief said Pretti was a licensed handgun owner. Minnesota’s gun laws permit open carrying a handgun as long as the gun owner has a valid permit.
Jan 24, 2026, 9:36 PM EST
Witness describes shooting in federal court filing
An unnamed witness provided more details in a federal court filing Saturday night about the shooting in Minneapolis of 37-year-old Alex Pretti.
The witness, whose name was redacted in court documents, said immigration agents pepper-sprayed three observers, including Pretti, before an agent shoved a woman to the ground.
“More agents came over and grabbed the man who was still trying to help the woman get up.”
The witness said that agents pushed Pretti to the ground and added that “it didn’t look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up.”
“They threw him to the ground. Four or five agents had him on the ground and they just started shooting him,” the witness said. “They shot him so many times.”
The witness said they recorded a video that “accurately depicts the events leading up to the agents shooting him and several minutes afterwards.”
The declaration was filed Saturday by the ACLU of Minnesota as part of an emergency motion to lift a stay on a federal judge’s order that barred immigration agents from arresting protesters or using nonlethal weapons against them.
-ABC News’ Laura Romero and Luke Barr
Jan 24, 2026, 7:12 PM EST
Schumer says Democrats will block pending funding over DHS funding
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement Saturday night that Democrats will block efforts to move forward with a package of funding bills if the bill that funds the Department of Homeland Security is included in the package.
“What’s happening in Minnesota is appalling —and unacceptable in any American city. Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans’ refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE. I will vote no,” he said.
The Senate needs to pass a package of six government funding bills by Friday in order to avert a partial government shutdown. At least 60 votes are needed to tee up votes on any of the appropriations bills.
-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin
Jan 24, 2026, 6:54 PM EST
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem weighs in on shooting of Pretti
Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem called the shooting a “tragic situation” before arguing that the shots were “defensive” because that the agent was “fearing for his life.”
“This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement,” she said, echoing earlier characterizations by Border Patrol Commander at Large Greg Bovino.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacbo Frey have disputed those characterizations.
ABC News’ Luke Barr asked what evidence Noem had to make those claims that 37-year-old Alex Pretti wanted to injure or hurt law enforcement and, but she did not answer the question.
-ABC News’s Emily Chang
Jan 24, 2026, 6:16 PM EST
Gun Owners Caucus ‘concerned’ over shooting, calls for full investigation
The Gun Owners Caucus released a lengthy statement following the shooting death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
Pretti was a legal gun owner who had no criminal record, the Minneapolis police chief said.
“We are deeply concerned by this morning’s reports that a federal law enforcement operation in Minneapolis resulted in the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by federal agents,” the group said in a statement.
The group added that “despite widespread speculation regarding intent, there has been no evidence produced indicating an intent to harm the officers.” The group called for a “full and transparent investigation by both state and federal authorities.”
“Every peaceable Minnesotan has the right to keep and bear arms—including while attending protests, acting as observers, or exercising their First Amendment rights. These rights do not disappear when someone is lawfully armed, and they must be respected and protected at all times,” the caucus said.
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