Court affidavits and video accounts raise new questions about the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti

What the filings say — and what officials claim

New court filings submitted in federal litigation over immigration enforcement in Minneapolis include sworn witness statements describing the fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, during a confrontation with federal agents in south Minneapolis on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. The accounts, submitted under penalty of perjury, dispute federal officials’ public assertions that Pretti approached officers while brandishing a handgun.

In public statements released the same day, the Department of Homeland Security said officers were conducting a “targeted operation” when an individual approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The agency said officers attempted to disarm him, alleged he resisted, and said an agent fired “defensive shots.” Federal officials also said the individual had two magazines and no identification, and characterized the encounter as a potentially mass-casualty threat.

Witness descriptions: filming, pepper spray, a takedown, then gunfire

Two witness affidavits describe Pretti near the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue as agents confronted and dispersed observers. One witness, who recorded video from close range, described agents shoving at least one person to the ground and using chemical irritants, including on Pretti. The witness said Pretti raised his hands and appeared focused on helping a woman who had been knocked down.

The same witness stated Pretti did not touch agents or resist in a way that warranted lethal force, and said they did not see him with a gun. The witness described multiple agents pinning Pretti on the ground before shots were fired.

A second affidavit from a physician who watched from a nearby residence similarly reported seeing Pretti yelling at agents but not attacking them or brandishing a weapon. The physician said they went outside to provide medical aid after shots were fired and were initially prevented from reaching Pretti. When allowed through, the physician described Pretti as critically injured with multiple apparent gunshot wounds and said agents were not immediately performing standard life-saving measures.

What videos reviewed by multiple outlets show

Multiple videos from the scene show a chaotic physical struggle involving several armed agents and Pretti on the sidewalk. In at least one angle, an agent appears to pull a handgun from within the scuffle immediately before additional shots are heard. The footage does not clearly establish when or how the weapon entered the altercation, a central point of dispute between federal statements and witness accounts.

Broader legal backdrop: protest restrictions and “Operation Metro Surge”

The affidavits were filed in the context of ongoing federal court litigation over “Operation Metro Surge,” the name used for a large-scale DHS immigration enforcement push in Minnesota that has drawn sustained public protests. Earlier this month, a federal judge issued an order limiting arrests and the use of chemical irritants against peaceful observers and demonstrators. Days later, a federal appeals court temporarily lifted those restrictions while the case proceeds.

Key facts and unresolved questions

• Pretti, a Minneapolis resident, died at the scene after multiple shots were fired during a struggle involving federal agents on Jan. 24, 2026.
• DHS says Pretti approached with a 9 mm handgun; sworn witnesses say they did not see him brandish a weapon.
• Video shows a handgun being secured during the struggle, but does not conclusively show how it appeared in the encounter.
• Investigations and evidence preservation issues remain active amid competing federal and local demands for access and transparency.

As court proceedings continue, the most consequential questions are factual: whether Pretti presented an immediate lethal threat, how and when a handgun became part of the confrontation, and whether agents’ use of force and post-shooting care matched legal and medical standards.