An expert has weighed in on a critical detail that may help explain the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse who was killed during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis on January 24. Pretti’s death came less than a month after another U.S. citizen, Renee Nicole Good, was fatally shot during a similar operation, intensifying public scrutiny of federal actions in the city.
In the hours following the shooting, officials including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and former president Donald Trump claimed Pretti had brandished a firearm and posed an imminent threat. However, multiple videos later circulated online appear to contradict that narrative, showing Pretti holding only a cellphone while being pepper-sprayed, restrained, and pinned to the ground. It is undisputed that he legally owned a handgun and had a permit, but footage suggests the weapon was removed by agents before shots were fired.
A new theory was introduced by Rob Doar, an attorney with the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus. Doar suggested that the first gunshot may have been a negligent or accidental discharge by an agent after removing Pretti’s firearm, which could have been mistaken by other agents as hostile fire. He stressed that this theory is based on available video evidence and should be thoroughly examined in an official investigation.
Pretti’s family has strongly rejected claims that he was a threat, accusing federal authorities of spreading falsehoods. They emphasized that he was unarmed at the moment he was shot and was attempting to protect others during the confrontation. As federal agencies including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement continue to review the incident, the case has become a flashpoint in the broader national debate over use of force, accountability, and the conduct of immigration enforcement operations in U.S. cities.
