MINNEAPOLIS MINNESOTA, Federal law enforcement agents shot and killed an armed man in Minneapolis on Saturday morning during an operation involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an incident that was captured on video and later sparked confrontations between authorities and protesters.
Local and federal officials confirmed the fatal shooting occurred just after 9 a.m. near the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue, close to a Glam Doll Donuts location. The circumstances surrounding the encounter were not immediately clear, but multiple videos circulating on social media show federal agents wrestling an adult male to the ground on a sidewalk. In the footage, at least one agent appears to strike the individual with an object before gunshots are heard. Several additional shots follow, after which agents scatter and the man collapses.
The Department of Homeland Security later released a statement on social media providing its account of the incident. According to DHS, agents were conducting a “targeted operation” involving ICE officers who were attempting to locate a person allegedly in the country illegally and wanted for assault. During that operation, DHS said a man approached Border Patrol agents while armed with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. Agents attempted to disarm him, leading to what DHS described as an “armed struggle.” The agency stated that an agent feared for his life and discharged his weapon. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the person who was shot is believed to be a 37-year-old U.S. citizen who lived in Minneapolis. The victim reportedly suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the chest. O’Hara said officials have identified the man, who was believed to have legally possessed a firearm permit, but his name had not yet been publicly released at the time of the briefing. Minnesota law allows permit holders to openly carry handguns in public.
As news of the shooting spread, more than 100 protesters gathered at the scene, blowing whistles, shouting at federal agents, and demanding arrests. Law enforcement deployed tear gas and flash-bang devices in an effort to disperse the crowd, according to reporting by The New York Times. Minneapolis police officers were sent to the area and worked to keep demonstrators separated from federal agents as tensions escalated. Streets near the intersection were blocked as protesters continued to confront authorities.
The incident occurred one day after thousands of people across Minneapolis protested against President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies, with hundreds of businesses closing in solidarity. The shooting is the third involving federal law enforcement agents in Minneapolis this month, including the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Nicole Good, 37.
The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, and federal authorities have not released additional details beyond their initial statement.
