Federal agents had secured the handgun Alex Pretti was carrying seconds before shooting him to death

Federal agents in Minneapolis wrestled Alex Pretti to the ground and secured the handgun he was carrying moments before shooting him multiple times, according to a Washington Post analysis of video footage.

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— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 25, 2026

The Washington Post uploaded a close up and slowed-down video on X.com at 5:34 p.m. January 24 that clearly shows a federal agent pulling a handgun out of the back of Alex Pretti’s pants waistband as agents held him hunched over on his knees just seconds before  shooting him to death on a Minneapolis street yesterday.

Pretti was a 37 year old intensive care nurse who worked at the local Veterans Administration hospital. He had no criminal record outside of getting traffic tickets, and no known history of violence. He was licensed to legally carry a firearm. He was trying to assist a woman whom federal officials had roughly pushed to down the ground and sprayed with pepper spray. Agents sprayed Pretti with pepper spray as well before they attacked him.

Shortly after agents killed Pretti, and before any investigation could be done, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem held a press conference (video) at which she labeled Pretti a “domestic terrorist” who had “perpetuated violence against a government because of ideological reasons.” Noem defended the agent who shot Pretti, saying he did so “after the victim “violently brandished a gun.”  Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino claimed Pretti wanted to do “maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, called Pretti “a would-be assassin” who “tried to murder law enforcement” in a post on X.

So far no federal agency or official has presented any evidence showing Pretti had a gun in his hand at any time during the interaction leading up to his killing. Videos show Pretti was holding only a cell phone.

In response to the above claims made by Trump administration officials without any evidence, Pretti’s parents issued a public statement that said, in part,

“The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed. Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you.”