A Minneapolis nurse was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent during an immigration enforcement operation Saturday in Minneapolis, leaving his family and community reeling. Alex Pretti, 37, was pronounced dead at the scene, with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) confirming that he is one of its members.
The incident occurred as federal agents targeted Jose Huerta-Chuma, a man with a history of domestic assault and other charges. According to officials, Pretti approached Border Patrol agents while armed with a 9mm pistol, and resisted arrest when they attempted to disarm him. The agents involved in the operation have not been named.
The Department of Homeland Security is leading the investigation into the shooting, with assistance from the FBI. However, details about the incident remain unclear, including what led to the confrontation between Pretti and the Border Patrol agents. Video footage of the incident has circulated on social media, but it appears that Pretti may not have been brandishing a weapon.
Pretti's father, Michael, said his son became involved in protests after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent, and had recently advised him to be careful when participating in demonstrations. The family has expressed outrage over the incident, with Alex's mother stating that she believes he was doing everything in his power to protect his community when he was shot.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from politicians and advocacy groups. Former Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted that Pretti "should still be alive" and called for an end to ICE operations in Minnesota. The Common Defense Civic Engagement organization, a nation's largest grassroots organization of veterans and military families, released a statement condemning the shooting and calling for an immediate suspension of all ICE operations.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has also expressed outrage over the incident, stating that he shares his "intense grief and anger" over another Minnesotan being fatally shot during Operation Metro Surge. He plans to argue in court on Monday to end what he calls the "illegal and unconstitutional occupation of our cities."
The shooting has raised questions about police accountability and the use of force by federal law enforcement agencies, particularly when dealing with individuals who are not suspected of any crime. The incident is likely to spark further debate and discussion in the coming days.
The incident occurred as federal agents targeted Jose Huerta-Chuma, a man with a history of domestic assault and other charges. According to officials, Pretti approached Border Patrol agents while armed with a 9mm pistol, and resisted arrest when they attempted to disarm him. The agents involved in the operation have not been named.
The Department of Homeland Security is leading the investigation into the shooting, with assistance from the FBI. However, details about the incident remain unclear, including what led to the confrontation between Pretti and the Border Patrol agents. Video footage of the incident has circulated on social media, but it appears that Pretti may not have been brandishing a weapon.
Pretti's father, Michael, said his son became involved in protests after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent, and had recently advised him to be careful when participating in demonstrations. The family has expressed outrage over the incident, with Alex's mother stating that she believes he was doing everything in his power to protect his community when he was shot.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from politicians and advocacy groups. Former Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted that Pretti "should still be alive" and called for an end to ICE operations in Minnesota. The Common Defense Civic Engagement organization, a nation's largest grassroots organization of veterans and military families, released a statement condemning the shooting and calling for an immediate suspension of all ICE operations.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has also expressed outrage over the incident, stating that he shares his "intense grief and anger" over another Minnesotan being fatally shot during Operation Metro Surge. He plans to argue in court on Monday to end what he calls the "illegal and unconstitutional occupation of our cities."
The shooting has raised questions about police accountability and the use of force by federal law enforcement agencies, particularly when dealing with individuals who are not suspected of any crime. The incident is likely to spark further debate and discussion in the coming days.
It's just so senseless. And what's even crazier is that Alex Pretti was just trying to protect his community, but ended up getting shot anyway. It's like, what's the point of having police or border control if they're just gonna go around shooting people left and right?
what were they even doing there? wasnt he supposed to be protecting people not shooting them? 
i dont get it at all... and the video footage is so grainy it looks like hes just walking around with a gun in his hand lol but then again maybe thats not what really happened... *cries*
Another day, another poor soul caught in the crossfire between immigration enforcement and... well, being a human being? I mean, come on, dude was just walking around with a 9mm pistol, no big deal, right? 
And now we're having to figure out what exactly went down because video footage is sketchy at best. It's like, can't we all just get along and have peaceful protests without someone getting shot in the line of duty? 
I'm not saying ICE or Border Patrol are perfect (oh wait, they probably are), but this whole thing just feels like a giant mess. And what's with all the outrage? 
Can't we just take a deep breath and try to have a rational discussion about how to improve things instead of just pointing fingers? 
and I'm still trying to process it... A nurse getting shot by a Border Patrol agent during an immigration operation is just heartbreaking 
. It's like, what even happened here? 
. And to think he was just trying to protect his community, it's all so senseless 
. This incident has me worried about the state of law enforcement and police accountability... what if this had been a wrong victim? 
The investigation is still unclear, but I hope justice is served soon 
. My heart goes out to Alex Pretti's family 
alex was just trying to help his community 
and now he's gone 
and make sure no one else has to go through this 
my heart goes out to his family 
especially his mom who's just trying to protect her son's memory 
. Like, what if they hadn't acted in self-defense? It's a nightmare scenario. But at the same time, I feel so bad for his family and community - like, they're already dealing with so much trauma from all the violence we see in the news these days 
...
I'm still trying to wrap my head around it... a nurse, 37 and a dad, getting shot by Border Patrol agents during an immigration enforcement op? 
Like what even is the protocol here?! 
. Can't we just have some clarity here?! 
.
meanwhile pretti's family is left with a whole lot of grief and what-ifs 
it's like they're all competing in some kind of "who can be the most outraged" contest 
. And for what? So we can debate the finer points of immigration policy and police accountability? No thanks 
Minneapolis nurse fatally shot by Border Patrol agent during immigration op 
.
. I'm watching those videos of Alex Pretti approaching the agents with a 9mm pistol and resisting arrest... it looks like he was trying to disarm them or something, not threatening anyone at all 
. The use of force by federal agencies is already a hot topic, and this incident doesn't help calm things down 
.
. This incident just highlights the need for more transparency and accountability from our law enforcement agencies 
can't we just have some peace and trust in our communities? 
. i wonder if the agents involved in the operation were properly trained to handle situations like this 
. and what led up to the confrontation between Pretti and the agents is still not clear