The street where Alex Pretti was killed is known as “Eat Street,” usually a place for restaurants and nightlife. Now it is sealed off, filled with candles, flowers, and a community struggling with grief and anger.
Multiple videos of the shooting have surfaced, showing the moments before, during, and after Pretti’s death. While the footage is chaotic and crowded with federal agents, it offers no clear support for claims that Pretti intended mass violence.
Contrary to Department of Homeland Security statements, there is no visible evidence in the videos that Pretti posed an imminent lethal threat. At no point does the situation appear headed toward a fatal outcome.
In one recording, Pretti is seen calmly filming immigration officers with his phone. In Minneapolis, residents have been documenting federal agents’ actions, citing their First Amendment rights amid concerns over aggressive enforcement tactics.
Whistles and car horns are heard in the footage, commonly used in the city to alert neighbors to immigration activity. These actions are not crimes and were widespread during recent enforcement operations.
Pretti also appears to be directing traffic, waving a car around him. Moments later, an officer pushes a woman, and Pretti intervenes. Soon after, he is pepper-sprayed and forced to the ground.
Video shows Pretti on his knees when the first shot is fired. He appears motionless as multiple additional shots follow. At no point is he seen holding or pointing a firearm.
The shooting comes just weeks after another fatal incident involving federal agents in Minneapolis. Observers say encounters with immigration officers have repeatedly escalated, turning public spaces into flashpoints of fear, protest, and deadly force.
