Two federal agents involved in the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis on Saturday have been placed on administrative leave, as confirmed by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection representative. This action is part of the standard procedure, with the agents being on leave since the incident occurred. Video footage captured from various angles depicts immigration agents firing multiple shots at Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at a veterans’ hospital, resulting in his death. This incident marked the second fatal encounter between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and U.S. citizens in Minnesota this month, causing widespread national outcry.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection is currently reviewing the shooting incident. Pretti’s parents have sought legal representation from a former federal prosecutor, Steve Schleicher, who played a key role in assisting Minnesota’s attorney general in securing a murder conviction in the case of the police officer involved in George Floyd’s death. Schleicher, a partner at the Minneapolis-based law firm Maslon, is representing Michael and Susan Pretti pro bono, according to a family spokesperson.
The tragic death of Pretti followed another fatal shooting involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, where Minneapolis resident Renee Good was shot and killed on January 7. Good’s family has enlisted the services of the Chicago-based firm Romanucci & Blandin, known for representing Floyd’s family in the past.
Initial reports suggested that Pretti, 37, was in possession of a handgun with a legal permit, and videos of the incident indicate that one officer disarmed him before two others opened fire. The U.S. government’s preliminary review of the shooting did not mention Pretti brandishing a firearm, despite earlier statements by Trump administration officials emphasizing the presence of the weapon.
Following the fatal shooting, top officials from the Trump administration portrayed Pretti as the aggressor, a narrative that was swiftly refuted by video evidence from the scene. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that Pretti approached Border Patrol officers with a 9-mm handgun, omitting the fact that the weapon was holstered. White House aide Stephen Miller labeled Pretti as a “domestic terrorist” and “would-be assassin” without providing evidence to support these claims.
The review of the incident conducted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility and shared with lawmakers adheres to standard protocol, aiming to ensure transparency. The notifications sent out to members of the U.S. Congress offer an initial overview of the event without conveying any definitive conclusions or investigative findings.
