ALEX JEFFREY PRETTI, Questions are mounting over whether a Minneapolis nurse was unlawfully shot and killed by federal agents during an immigration enforcement operation, after new video footage and eyewitness accounts emerged surrounding the fatal encounter.
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, a Minneapolis resident and U.S. citizen, was shot and killed shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday near the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue, close to a Glam Doll Donuts location. The shooting occurred during a rapidly unfolding scene involving multiple federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security.
Friends, colleagues, and online commentators allege that Pretti was attempting to help a female protester who was being pepper sprayed by agents when he became surrounded and was fatally shot. The incident, captured on video from multiple angles, has fueled debate over the use of force by federal agents and allegations of excessive or unlawful violence.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, agents were in the area attempting to apprehend a person described as an undocumented immigrant wanted for violent assault. Federal authorities later identified that individual as Jose Huerta-Chuma, an Ecuadorian national. Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino stated that Huerta-Chuma had a criminal history including domestic assault, disorderly conduct, and driving without a license, though federal court records did not immediately reflect those cases.
DHS said that during the operation, Pretti approached Border Patrol agents while legally armed and carrying two magazines. The agency released a photograph of a 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun it said was recovered at the scene. Officials claimed agents attempted to disarm Pretti and that he “violently resisted,” leading an agent to fire shots after fearing for his life. Pretti was pronounced dead at the scene.
Video footage shows multiple federal agents wrestling Pretti to the ground moments before the shooting. However, several videos circulating online do not appear to show Pretti drawing or aiming the firearm. In the footage, the weapon appears to remain holstered on his hip. Some commentators have alleged the gun was taken from him before shots were fired, though that detail has not been officially confirmed.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Pretti had no serious criminal history, with records reflecting only minor infractions such as parking violations. O’Hara also confirmed that Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a valid permit to carry, noting that Minnesota law allows permitted individuals to openly carry firearms in public.
Pretti worked as a registered nurse for the Veterans Health Administration at the Minneapolis VA hospital, where he served as an ICU nurse caring for veterans. Public records show he earned approximately $90,783 in 2023. He attended the University of Minnesota and most recently described himself as a junior scientist on LinkedIn.
Colleagues described Pretti as compassionate, politically engaged, and deeply committed to social justice. One nurse who worked with him for years said his death has been devastating, describing him as a good person who did not deserve to die. Friends said his strong belief in activism and standing up against what he perceived as injustice likely explains why he was present at the scene.
As news of the shooting spread, more than 100 protesters gathered near the site, yelling at federal agents and blocking streets. Law enforcement deployed tear gas and flash-bang devices to disperse the crowd as tensions escalated.
The incident marks the third shooting involving federal agents in Minneapolis this month, following the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Nicole Good, 37, and another shooting roughly a week later that left a man wounded.
The shooting remains under investigation. Federal authorities have not released the name of the agent involved, and scrutiny continues over the circumstances that led to Alex Jeffrey Pretti’s death amid heightened immigration enforcement and protests in Minneapolis.
