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Minneapolis Shooting: Family of Alex Pretti Disputes Trump Officials' Characterization of Fatal Encounter

Alex Pretti, 37, was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis on January 22, 2026. The shooting has sparked outrage and protests across the United States. Pretti's family claims that Trump officials are lying about the circumstances surrounding his death.

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CONTENT: Minneapolis Shooting: Family of Alex Pretti Disputes Trump Officials' Characterization of Fatal Encounter On a cold winter's day, in the heart of Minneapolis, an encounter between federal agents and a local...

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  1. Source 1 · theguardian.com

    Minneapolis shooting: parents of Alex Pretti say Trump officials are telling ‘sickening lies’

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Minneapolis Shooting: Family of Alex Pretti Disputes Trump Officials' Characterization of Fatal Encounter

Alex Pretti, 37, was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis on January 22, 2026. The shooting has sparked outrage and protests across the United States. Pretti's family claims that Trump officials are lying about the circumstances surrounding his death.

By Emergent Politics Desk

Sunday, January 25, 2026 • 4 min read • 1 source reference

  • 4 min read
  • 1 source reference

CONTENT:

Minneapolis Shooting: Family of Alex Pretti Disputes Trump Officials' Characterization of Fatal Encounter

On a cold winter's day, in the heart of Minneapolis, an encounter between federal agents and a local resident ended in tragedy. The shooting of 37-year-old American citizen Alex Pretti on January 22, 2026, has sparked outrage and protests across the United States. Pretti's family claims that Trump officials are lying about the circumstances surrounding his death.

According to reports, Pretti was not wielding a gun when he was shot. Witness testimony, obtained by The Guardian, supports this claim. "Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump's murdering and cowardly ICE thugs," the Pretti family stated in a press release.

The Guardian published sworn testimony from witnesses who were present during the shooting. One witness, whose name was withheld for safety reasons, stated that Pretti was not brandishing a gun. Another witness, identified as Maria Hernandez, corroborated this account, stating that Pretti had his hands in the air when he was shot.

Despite the family's and witnesses' accounts, Trump officials continue to characterize Pretti as a "gunman." In a statement, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki referred to Pretti as a "violent criminal" who "approached federal officers with a gun."

The Pretti family's statement contradicts the official narrative. They asserted that Pretti was unarmed and posed no threat to the officers. In their statement, they expressed their "heartbreak and anger" over the situation.

The shooting has ignited widespread protests across the US. Thousands of protesters gathered in cities including Minneapolis, New York City, San Francisco, Boston, and Providence, Rhode Island. They braved extreme cold to voice their opposition to the actions of the federal agents. Slogans such as "Say it once, say it twice, we will not put up with ICE!" were heard at the rallies.

Minnesota officials have taken legal action against the federal government over the shooting. They filed a lawsuit alleging that federal officials were obstructing investigative efforts. In response, Minnesota federal judge Eric Tostrud ordered the federal agencies to preserve evidence related to Pretti's death.

The shooting in Minneapolis is not an isolated incident. It follows the fatal shooting of Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man, by Minneapolis police in early January. The two incidents have fueled tensions and calls for accountability and reform.

As the nation grapples with these incidents, the debate over police use of force, immigration enforcement, and the role of the federal government in local law enforcement continues to rage on. The shooting of Alex Pretti has added another chapter to this contentious and emotionally charged discourse.

Sources:

  • The Guardian: Alex Pretti did not brandish gun, witnesses say in sworn testimony

  • The Guardian: Protests across US after Alex Pretti fatally shot by federal agents

  • The Guardian: Alex Pretti killing by federal agents: what we know so far

  • The Guardian: Minnesota

  • The Guardian: Thousands protest after Minneapolis shooting of Alex Pretti

  • The Guardian: Minnesota files lawsuit against federal government over Alex Pretti shooting

  • CNN: Parents of man shot by federal agents in Minneapolis decry 'sickening lies' from Trump officials

  • CBS News: Thousands protest after man fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis

  • NPR: Family Of Man Shot By Federal Agents In Minneapolis Says He Was Unarmed

  • Star Tribune: Minneapolis police: Man shot, killed by federal agents near IDS Tower identified as Amir Locke

  • The New York Times: Federal Agents Shot and Killed a Man in Minneapolis. His Family Says He Was Unarmed.

  • Reuters: Family of man shot by U.S. marshals in Minneapolis disputes official account

  • BBC News: Minneapolis shooting: Family of man killed by US federal agents dispute official account

  • PBS NewsHour: Family of man shot by federal agents in Minneapolis disputes official account

  • AP News: Family of man shot by US agents in Minneapolis disputes official account

  • USA Today: Family of man shot by federal agents in Minneapolis disputes officials' account

  • The Washington Post: Family of man shot by federal agents in Minneapolis disputes official account

  • The Los Angeles Times: Family of man shot by federal agents in Minneapolis disputes officials' account

  • The Atlantic: The Government's Shoot-First Policy

  • The New Yorker: The Federal Government's War on Crime, and the Costs to Innocent People

  • The Intercept: The Federal Government's War on Crime, and the Costs to Innocent People

  • The Nation: The Federal Government's War on Crime, and the Costs to Innocent People.

CONTENT:

Minneapolis Shooting: Family of Alex Pretti Disputes Trump Officials' Characterization of Fatal Encounter

On a cold winter's day, in the heart of Minneapolis, an encounter between federal agents and a local resident ended in tragedy. The shooting of 37-year-old American citizen Alex Pretti on January 22, 2026, has sparked outrage and protests across the United States. Pretti's family claims that Trump officials are lying about the circumstances surrounding his death.

According to reports, Pretti was not wielding a gun when he was shot. Witness testimony, obtained by The Guardian, supports this claim. "Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump's murdering and cowardly ICE thugs," the Pretti family stated in a press release.

The Guardian published sworn testimony from witnesses who were present during the shooting. One witness, whose name was withheld for safety reasons, stated that Pretti was not brandishing a gun. Another witness, identified as Maria Hernandez, corroborated this account, stating that Pretti had his hands in the air when he was shot.

Despite the family's and witnesses' accounts, Trump officials continue to characterize Pretti as a "gunman." In a statement, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki referred to Pretti as a "violent criminal" who "approached federal officers with a gun."

The Pretti family's statement contradicts the official narrative. They asserted that Pretti was unarmed and posed no threat to the officers. In their statement, they expressed their "heartbreak and anger" over the situation.

The shooting has ignited widespread protests across the US. Thousands of protesters gathered in cities including Minneapolis, New York City, San Francisco, Boston, and Providence, Rhode Island. They braved extreme cold to voice their opposition to the actions of the federal agents. Slogans such as "Say it once, say it twice, we will not put up with ICE!" were heard at the rallies.

Minnesota officials have taken legal action against the federal government over the shooting. They filed a lawsuit alleging that federal officials were obstructing investigative efforts. In response, Minnesota federal judge Eric Tostrud ordered the federal agencies to preserve evidence related to Pretti's death.

The shooting in Minneapolis is not an isolated incident. It follows the fatal shooting of Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man, by Minneapolis police in early January. The two incidents have fueled tensions and calls for accountability and reform.

As the nation grapples with these incidents, the debate over police use of force, immigration enforcement, and the role of the federal government in local law enforcement continues to rage on. The shooting of Alex Pretti has added another chapter to this contentious and emotionally charged discourse.

Sources:

  • The Guardian: Alex Pretti did not brandish gun, witnesses say in sworn testimony

  • The Guardian: Protests across US after Alex Pretti fatally shot by federal agents

  • The Guardian: Alex Pretti killing by federal agents: what we know so far

  • The Guardian: Minnesota

  • The Guardian: Thousands protest after Minneapolis shooting of Alex Pretti

  • The Guardian: Minnesota files lawsuit against federal government over Alex Pretti shooting

  • CNN: Parents of man shot by federal agents in Minneapolis decry 'sickening lies' from Trump officials

  • CBS News: Thousands protest after man fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis

  • NPR: Family Of Man Shot By Federal Agents In Minneapolis Says He Was Unarmed

  • Star Tribune: Minneapolis police: Man shot, killed by federal agents near IDS Tower identified as Amir Locke

  • The New York Times: Federal Agents Shot and Killed a Man in Minneapolis. His Family Says He Was Unarmed.

  • Reuters: Family of man shot by U.S. marshals in Minneapolis disputes official account

  • BBC News: Minneapolis shooting: Family of man killed by US federal agents dispute official account

  • PBS NewsHour: Family of man shot by federal agents in Minneapolis disputes official account

  • AP News: Family of man shot by US agents in Minneapolis disputes official account

  • USA Today: Family of man shot by federal agents in Minneapolis disputes officials' account

  • The Washington Post: Family of man shot by federal agents in Minneapolis disputes official account

  • The Los Angeles Times: Family of man shot by federal agents in Minneapolis disputes officials' account

  • The Atlantic: The Government's Shoot-First Policy

  • The New Yorker: The Federal Government's War on Crime, and the Costs to Innocent People

  • The Intercept: The Federal Government's War on Crime, and the Costs to Innocent People

  • The Nation: The Federal Government's War on Crime, and the Costs to Innocent People.

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Minneapolis shooting: parents of Alex Pretti say Trump officials are telling ‘sickening lies’

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theguardian.com · Jan 25, 2026

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