Judge grants restraining order against DHS after Border Patrol kills Alex Pretti in Minneapolis
By WCCO Staff
Federal agents shot and killed a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis on Saturday morning, less than three weeks after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good and amid an ongoing surge in immigration enforcement action across the city.
U.S. District Court Judge Eric Tostrud granted a temporary restraining order against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Saturday, barring the department from altering or destroying evidence connected to Pretti’s killing.
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an ICU nurse who worked at the Minneapolis VA hospital, was identified as the man killed by a Border Patrol agent. The Department of Homeland Security said the agent acted in self-defense after attempting to disarm Pretti, but Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said that account was “nonsense” after reviewing videos of the shooting.
Videos from the scene show that Pretti was holding a cellphone, not a gun, when he was shot. An agent can be seen emerging from the scuffle with a gun and turning away from the man when the first shot is fired.
What to know about the shooting:
- Minnesota officials said Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry. He had no criminal record.
- The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said DHS representatives blocked them from accessing the scene of the shooting, even though the bureau had obtained a judge’s signed search warrant. On Sunday morning, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said that the state investigative agency had returned to the scene at his request, “canvassing for additional witnesses and evidence.”
- Videos from the scene verified by CBS News show that Pretti was holding a phone in his right hand, and nothing in his left, before he was shot. Multiple videos also show a federal agent in a gray jacket reaching into the scuffle empty-handed and emerging with a gun in his right hand, turning away from the man when the first shot is fired, then running across the street as more shots are fired.
- Pretti’s family said in a statement that Pretti was “a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital.” They condemned what they said were “sickening lies told about our son by the administration.”
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says he and his office will argue in court on Monday to end the ongoing immigration surge in Minnesota. The City of Minneapolis is also filing a declaration in hopes that a judge will issue a temporary restraining order to put a pause on the operation.
Follow live updates below. 25m ago
Bovino walks back definitive claims on Alex Pretti shooting
Despite many videos from several different angles being shared publicly of Alex Pretti getting shot and killed by U.S. Border Patrol agents, Commander-At-Large Greg Bovino’s main message on Sunday was that he will not speculate until an investigation is complete.
“I’ve not concluded anything. I have not given you a conclusion,” Bovino said.
This contradicts his message from the day before, when he definitively claimed “an individual approached U.S. Border Patrol agents with a 9 millimeter, semi-automatic handgun,” and that when agents tried to disarm him, he “violently resisted.”
“I’m not going to speculate on who did what, when they did it, how they did it, or what exactly occurred there. I’m going to wait for the investigation to let me know what happened,” Bovino told the press on Sunday.
When asked if Pretti brandished a gun, as he had previously said, Bovino responded, “All those minute details, that will paint a true picture, not a freeze frame concept, and paint a larger picture of what really happened. That is why we investigate, so we can get to the truth, so there’s not speculation.”
Bovino says the Border Patrol agents involved are still working while the investigation plays out.
“All agents that were involved in that scene are working, not in Minneapolis, but in other locations, that’s for their safety,” Bovino said.
Meanwhile, outside of the Whipple Building, where Bovino was speaking, several demonstrators continued their consistent presence.
“I just don’t see how anybody can have any trust in leadership in any facet of this administration,” Kevin Campion, a demonstrator, said in response to Bovino’s most recent comments.
“It’s hard that one side is saying one thing, and then we’re living it, like this is our home. It’s sad to see Minnesotans die,” another demonstrator said.
Hundreds turn out for downtown Minneapolis protest
Hundreds were in downtown Minneapolis on Sunday, demanding justice for Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
People say they gathered because they needed to feel a sense of community and mourn the loss of life.
For most, the crowd gives them hope.
“I feel like a sense of relief. I see people who all care and keep coming out, especially in this freezing cold weather. It just gives me a sense of hope that things will move in the right direction,” Mary said.
Mary is one of many educators in the crowd who came to speak up for their students and families who are afraid to.
“I have a lot of students who aren’t showing up to class because they just don’t feel safe or their families don’t feel safe,” Mary said. “They’re missing out on school. They’re emailing me just to say ‘hi’ and have somebody to connect with, and it’s just been really difficult for them.”
“We are delivering food, we are supporting our families; our work goes beyond the classroom,” educator John Reuss said.
The speeches inspired people to stand up for those they say are targeted by ICE.
“Shutting it down means staying in the streets, it means staying in the streets. It means keeping up the energy, right? They’re turning up their energy; we’ve got to keep up our energy, too,” Reuss said.
The cold did not dampen the fire inside all who stood in the square, especially those who served our country.
“People have got to get out, we have to stand up against this,” Army veteran Bill Heffner said.
Heffner is disturbed by the latest shooting death in Minneapolis.
“This is a guy who was serving veterans and who got executed by the government that employs him,” Heffner said.
The crowd hopes their efforts will make a difference.
“The whole world needs to keep their eyes on what is happening here in Minneapolis and St. Paul and Minnesota because what happens here can happen to you,” Reuss said.
By Reg Chapman
Renee Good’s family: “ICE agents can leave Minneapolis. The residents of Minnesota cannot.”
The family of Renee Good, who was killed by an ICE officer in south Minneapolis less than three weeks ago, issued a statement following the killing of Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti.
“The events of this weekend in Minneapolis are terrifying, deeply disturbing, and heartbreaking – with yet another U.S. citizen losing their life while taking part in the time-honored and Constitutionally protected activity of being present to observe and peacefully advocate for their beliefs. We urge all Americans to trust their own eyes as they interpret the horrific video, and to call for an absolute end to ICE activity in Minneapolis. It has clearly gone too far and strayed far beyond its stated mission of removing criminal non-citizens from the country. It is time for a hard reset,” the statement read. “ICE agents can leave Minneapolis. The residents of Minnesota cannot. We call for a complete and immediate end to the ICE invasion of this beautiful American city.”
President Trump blames deaths of Pretti, Good on “Democrat ensued chaos”
President Trump is calling on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to cooperate “rather than resist and stoke the flames of division, chaos, and violence.”
In a Truth Social post, Mr. Trump called the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti a “result of this Democrat ensued chaos,” and demanded that Walz and Frey, along with every Democrat governor and mayor in the country, follow four requests.
First, he instructed Walz and Frey to “turn over” all undocumented immigrants who are currently incarcerated in the state, have an active warrant or known criminal history for “immediate deportation.” Mr. Trump next said state and local law enforcement must turn over all undocumented immigrants arrested by local police.
Mr. Trump’s third demand was that local police must assist federal law enforcement in apprehending and detaining wanted undocumented immigrants. In his fourth request, he instructed Democrats to partner with the federal government “to protect American citizens in the rapid removal of all criminal illegal aliens in our country.”
Under Minneapolis’ separation ordinance, officers are not allowed to assist with immigration enforcement, provide information to immigration enforcement agents for locating a person for immigration enforcement actions, detain people based solely on their immigration status or assist in the enforcement of immigration laws.
Paul Schnell, the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections, has denied claims that state authorities have been releasing hundreds of dangerous criminals into the streets, rather than turning them over to federal immigration agents.
Schnell said his department routinely communicates with ICE in the weeks before an incarcerated person’s release to arrange handoffs if a detainer is in place. And according to Minnesota corrections data, 84 people were transferred directly from state prisons to ICE custody in 2025.
Mr. Trump on Sunday also called on Congress to pass legislation to end sanctuary cities, which he claimed are “the root cause of all of these problems.”
“All of these requests are rooted in COMMON SENSE, and will provide the best possible circumstances to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! The Trump Administration is standing by, and waiting for ANY Democrat to do the right thing, and work with us on these important matters of MAKING AMERICA SAFE like it is in all sections of our Country where we are, together with Local Leadership, participating and involved,” the president said.
By Riley Moser
University of Minnesota releases statement on Pretti’s death
Officials with the University of Minnesota, from which Alex Pretti graduated in 2011, extended their “deepest sympathies” to his family and loved ones in a statement on Sunday.
“We recognize that many are feeling fear, sadness, anger and confusion as we navigate a complex and challenging moment in our community, our state and our country. During this time we lean on our shared values of inclusion, community, belonging and safety. We ask for care for one another and a commitment to seek understanding and healing,” the university said in the statement.
University officials also warned about the possibility of tensions flaring in and around the Twin Cities campuses in the coming days, but said they are currently calm.
By Riley Moser
Video shows Alex Pretti giving veteran final salute
As the community grieves the loss of Alex Pretti, the man shot and killed by a federal agent in Minneapolis on Saturday, those who knew him say he was a person who helped others.
Mac Randolph says Pretti was his father’s intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. He shared a video that shows Pretti giving Randolph’s father his final salute after he died.
“Today, we remember that freedom is not free. We have to work at it, nurture it, protect it and even sacrifice for it,” Pretti says in the video. “May we never forget and always remember our brothers and sisters who have served, so that we may enjoy the gift of freedom. So in this moment, we remember and give thanks for their dedication and selfless service to our nation in the cause of freedom. In this solemn hour, we render our honor and our gratitude.”
By Riley Moser
Law enforcement legal expert on Minneapolis ICE killings: “Everyone should care that fair investigations happen”
Minnesota and Minneapolis officials are demanding evidence of the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti be preserved.
CBS News confirms the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension filed a new lawsuit alleging federal officials mishandled evidence at Saturday’s crime scene in south Minneapolis. That comes after they say they were completely blocked from accessing that scene despite having a warrant.
WCCO spoke with Rachel Moran, a University of St. Thomas law professor who has researched law enforcement accountability for decades.
“I don’t know of a situation like this. It’s unusual and it’s really troubling because the state does have the authority to investigate whether a crime occurred. And if we have the federal government actively preventing them from doing that and ignoring a court order, that’s a power grab that’s deeply concerning,” Moran said.
By Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield
More protests held in Chicago after feds kill Alex Pretti in Minneapolis
More demonstrations were held for Sunday in Chicago after a man was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis the day before.
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, an ICU nurse who worked at the Minneapolis VA hospital, was identified as the man killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the agent acted in self-defense after attempting to disarm Pretti, but Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said that account was “nonsense” after reviewing videos of the shooting.
Videos from the scene show that Pretti was holding a cellphone, not a gun, when he was shot. An agent can be seen emerging from the scuffle with a gun and turning away from the man when the first shot is fired.
By Asal Rezaei
Alex Pretti’s Colorado connections
Alex Pretti, the man who was killed by federal law enforcement agents in Minneapolis on Saturday, was described by a former neighbor of his parents, who live in Colorado, as “outdoorsy” and “very nice.”
Public records, including voter registration data and property records, show his parents own a home in the Denver metro area. Pretti, 37, visited them multiple times, according to that former neighbor of his parents. She met Pretti several times, and while some public records indicate that Pretti lived in Colorado over a decade ago, that neighbor told CBS News Colorado that only his parents did.
Upon learning that the man who was killed Saturday morning was Pretti, the woman, who asked that her name not be used, said, “oh my god!”
Gov. Walz demands: “What’s the plan, Donald Trump?”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz spoke to the press Sunday afternoon, one day after 37-year-old Alex Pretti was killed by federal agents in south Minneapolis — the third shooting this month amid Operation Metro Surge, and the second fatality carried out by members of federal immigration enforcement.
“What’s the plan, Donald Trump? What is the plan?” Walz said. “What do we need to do to get these federal agents out of our state? If fear, violence and chaos is what you wanted from us, then you clearly underestimated the people of this state and nation. We are tired, but we’re resolved. We’re peaceful, but we’ll never forget. We’re angry, but we won’t give up hope. And above all else, we are clearly unified.”
Walz said if President Trump’s intention was to “make an example of Minnesota,” it backfired.
Bovino declines to answer directly when asked whether Pretti brandished a weapon
Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino did not directly answer reporters’ questions about whether Pretti was brandishing a weapon when he was fatally shot.
Responding to one reporter who said during a news conference Sunday that multiple videos from the scene of the shooting appeared to show an officer leaving the scuffle with a weapon taken from Pretti before shots were fired, the Border Patrol commander suggested that was “speculation.”
“Many videos out there, many different accounts that you may see, that I may see, that anybody here may see, that, folks, is why we have something called an investigation, to take what you’re talking about, to take those videos, to take witness statements, to take officer statements, all those minute details that will paint a true picture … of what really happened,” Bovino said. “That is why we investigate, so we can get to the truth, so there’s not speculation.”
Large demonstration gathers in Minneapolis’ Government Plaza in protest of ICE
A large gathering of demonstrators have gathered outside of Minneapolis City Hall and the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis Sunday afternoon in a show of solidarity following the killing of Alex Pretti.
Downtown Minneapolis was also where an estimated tens of thousands gathered to march against the ICE surge in Minnesota, despite temperatures that were well into double-digits below zero.
Border Patrol Commander Bovino refers to Pretti, Good as suspects
At a news conference Sunday afternoon, Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino referred to Pretti and Renee Good as “suspects” when asked if he or ICE official Marcos Charles “plan on taking any accountability” for the two deaths.
“You’re correct, two suspects have been shot,” Bovino said. “And suspects that assault, delay, obstruct or threaten a law enforcement officer’s life … when individuals make poor choices, poor decisions, come into a law enforcement situation, an active law enforcement situation, conspire to come into that situation, whether that’s based on ideology, we don’t know. That’ll be in the investigation that we just talked about.”
Bovino concluded his comments by warning “any individuals, whether they’re anarchists, rioters or anyone else that thinks it wise to go into a law enforcement scene, to disrupt, to delay … don’t do that.”
Minnesota secretary of state rebukes Bondi’s voter data request
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon released a statement Sunday afternoon in response to the demands made by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in a letter to Gov. Tim Walz, saying, “The answer to Attorney General Bondi’s request is no.”
Simon called Bondi’s letter “an outrageous attempt to coerce Minnesota into giving the federal government private data on millions of U.S. Citizens in violation of state and federal law,” and spoke out against her office’s “repeated and failed attempts by the DOJ to pressure my office into providing the same data.”
“Attorney General Bondi knows full well that the Governor has no formal role in managing our elections or maintaining our voter registration system. She is also well aware that this specific request is the subject of active litigation with our office,” Simon said. “It is deeply disturbing that the U.S. Attorney General would make this unlawful request a part of an apparent ransom to pay for our state’s peace and security.”
Simon added, “More broadly, the federal government must end the unprecedented and deadly occupation of our state immediately.”
