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On January 24, Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse on the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Well being Care System, was shot and killed by federal brokers on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The taking pictures comes simply over two weeks after Renee Good was shot and killed by a federal agent in the identical metropolis
America Division of Homeland Safety claimed Pretti was killed after an “armed battle” with DHS officers and that it appeared he had wished to “do most harm”. But video footage shared on-line, exhibiting shortly earlier than and throughout the incident, seems to contradict that declare.
Among the earliest out there footage of the encounter was posted to Instagram and reveals an agent crossing the road to speak to Pretti who seems to be filming along with his cellphone, which he’s holding in his proper hand. In accordance with DHS, brokers had been conducting an immigration arrest within the space.
The agent might be seen inserting his hand on Pretti’s torso to push him again and away from the center of the street in direction of the sidewalk.
One other video shared on Reddit reveals what occurred after this preliminary contact, in addition to the lead-up to the taking pictures. Pretti seems to place himself between two ladies after they had been each shoved by a DHS agent. He’s holding a cellphone, held sideways in his proper hand.
An agent can then be seen spraying Pretti with a substance from a canister, and persevering with to spray him as he turns his again to him. A minimum of 5 further federal brokers method and try and pressure Pretti to the bottom whereas one seems to strike him with a sprig can.
Twenty-five seconds after Pretti is first sprayed, a shot is heard adopted by 9 extra photographs within the span of about six seconds. Extra video from the scene reveals Pretti mendacity immobile on the bottom.
Video Evaluation
Bellingcat additional analysed the Reddit video, a separate video posted to Fb and others taken on the scene to interrupt down the important thing moments of the taking pictures, splicing them collectively (see Bluesky put up beneath) to view in additional granular element.
We’ve positioned the out there movies of the taking pictures of Alex Pretti by federal brokers in Minneapolis at this time into the identical synchronised timeline and are persevering with to analyse additional.
— Bellingcat (@bellingcat.com) 24 January 2026 at 20:39
Nearer inspection of the movies reveals that an agent seems to take away a weapon from the melee earlier than the primary photographs are fired.
In each the Reddit and Fb video, a federal agent sporting a gray jacket might be seen approaching federal brokers who’re on prime of and battling Pretti. Notably, the agent’s arms are empty as he approaches. He might be seen reaching into and rummaging amid the our bodies. About twelve seconds later, he’s seen carrying a handgun away from the scene.
One other video, additionally posted to Reddit, reveals the agent eradicating a gun from a holster in Pretti’s waistband earlier than he’s shot.
A number of elements of the gun the federal agent is seen shifting away with seem to match the gun DHS declare belonged to Pretti (and which they posted to X), a Sig Sauer P320, chambered in 9mm. Some posts on-line mistakenly claimed the picture of the gun was outdated as a consequence of a misunderstanding of Google Reverse Picture Search.
Whereas some regulation enforcement companies challenge Sig Sauer P320 weapons to their brokers, the gun that DHS claims Pretti had is personalized, and visually distinct from these which are commonplace challenge.
These distinct options embody a white pistol grip, black pistol body, brown slide, and a purple dot sight mounted atop the slide. The purple dot sight and these varied colors are seen on the gun the federal agent is seen leaving with.
Earlier than the agent who takes the gun leaves the scene, it seems somebody shouts “gun”, as might be heard on this video that was posted to X, and one other video posted to Reddit.
This Reddit video additionally reveals that nearly instantly after the agent within the gray jacket leaves with the gun, a single gunshot might be heard, adopted by 9 different photographs.
Slowing it down, the similar video reveals that because the federal agent within the gray jacket removes Pretti’s gun, an agent in a black beanie, who seems to have a line of sight on the gun being eliminated, begins to attract his personal weapon. As quickly because the agent within the gray jacket strikes away with the gun and leaves, the agent within the black beanie steps to the place the agent within the gray jacket had been along with his finger on the set off and fires the primary shot.
Two brokers seem to fireplace their weapons from the footage out there, one sporting a black beanie and one other sporting a brown beanie, as might be seen on this video.
Similtaneously the primary shot is fired, the agent within the gray jacket is leaving with the gun taken from Pretti’s holster. An alternate angle seems reveals that the slide of this firearm doesn’t transfer to the rear. This is able to point out that it was not fired. A number of brokers, together with the agent within the gray jacket, look in direction of the person within the black beanie instantly after the primary shot. Regardless of some on-line hypothesis, there’s as but no proof that Pretti’s gun was fired.
Bellingcat synced and slowed three movies to point out the place the agent within the black beanie, and gray jacket, with each drawn weapons are when the primary shot happens. What some commenters have prompt is impression marks look like snow, that’s seen earlier than any photographs happen.
Three-way video sync and sluggish+zoom exhibiting the second of the primary shot earlier than Alex Pretti was killed by DHS brokers in Minneapolis yesterday.
There’s some claims that Pretti’s gun was the supply of the primary shot after it was taken from him, although in these movies it does not seem that is the case.
— Jake Godin (@godin.bsky.social) 25 January 2026 at 18:33
Whatsmore, the agent with the black beanie’s proper arm that was seen holding the gun strikes backwards as the primary shot is heard, possible because of the recoil from firing.
After firing as soon as, the agent within the black beanie repositions, after which shortly fires three extra photographs at Pretti’s again at shut vary whereas he seems to attempt to get up.
On this video, a number of brokers are piled on prime of Pretti whereas his arms might be seen in entrance of him, on the bottom. His arms stay in entrance of him because the agent within the gray jacket recovers the gun and strikes away.
Pretti collapses onto the bottom after the primary photographs and the brokers again away. A second agent (the one sporting the brown beanie hat) then attracts his gun and fires a minimum of one shot. That is the fifth shot that’s heard. The agent within the black beanie might be seen and heard firing extra photographs. Pictures 5 by ten all fired at Pretti’s immobile physique.
The brokers might be seen from one other angle, with the agent within the black beanie visibly firing into Pretti’s immobile physique.
A video taken shortly after the taking pictures reveals two brokers looking Pretti’s physique with one showing to be heard asking: “The place’s the gun?”.
Bellingcat contacted the Division of Homeland Safety to ask why Pretti was shot and killed and whether or not he was in possession of his gun when the primary photographs had been fired.
DHS didn’t reply by time of publication.
DHS and CBP statements have to this point solely acknowledged that one agent fired photographs, figuring out them as an eight 12 months veteran of Customs and Border Patrol who fired “defensive photographs”. It isn’t recognized which of the 2 brokers who appeared to fireplace photographs within the movies analysed by Bellingcat is an eight 12 months veteran of CBP.
Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, on CNN the day after the taking pictures, when proven video of the gun being eliminated earlier than the taking pictures and requested why border patrol brokers shot an unarmed man mentioned, “You don’t know he was unarmed. I don’t know he was unarmed.” Deputy Lawyer Common Todd Blanche, when requested if Pretti was unarmed, mentioned on Meet the Press, “I have no idea and no one else is aware of both, which is why we’re doing an investigation”.
Within the similar CNN interview, Bovino additionally mentioned that “The victims are the Border Patrol brokers.” and that “The suspect [Pretti] put himself in that scenario.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara mentioned that Pretti was a authorized gun proprietor with a allow to hold and didn’t have a prison report.
Jake Godin, Trevor Ball, Kolina Koltai and Carlos Gonzales contributed to this report.
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