Federal agents placed on leave after Alex Pretti’s fatal Minneapolis shooting amid ongoing investigations

Agents reassigned as investigations move forward

Two federal agents involved in the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, 2026, have been placed on administrative leave while investigations continue. The shooting occurred near the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in the Whittier neighborhood during heightened federal immigration enforcement activity in Minnesota.

Administrative leave is a standard step in many law-enforcement shootings while agencies review use-of-force decisions, collect evidence, and assess compliance with policy and training requirements. In this case, multiple investigative tracks are underway, including federal review and local medico-legal examination.

What is known about the Jan. 24 shooting

Pretti, an intensive care nurse employed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, was shot multiple times during an encounter with federal officers operating in Minneapolis. Publicly circulated video from the scene shows Pretti holding a phone in the moments before the shooting, and the incident has prompted disputes over whether he posed an immediate threat at the time shots were fired.

Federal statements and preliminary reviews have indicated Pretti had a firearm on his person, with accounts describing a struggle and officers shouting warnings about a gun immediately before shots were discharged. Key questions that remain central to the investigations include the timing of any display or access to a weapon, what commands were issued and understood, and whether de-escalation options were available.

How the case fits into a broader enforcement surge

The shooting took place against the backdrop of an ongoing federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota that has involved personnel from multiple Department of Homeland Security components. The operation has generated significant public attention, including protests and legal conflict between federal authorities and local leaders over the scope and tactics of enforcement activities.

The Jan. 24 shooting followed another fatal incident earlier in the month. On Jan. 7, 2026, Renée Nicole Macklin Good, also 37, was fatally shot in Minneapolis during an encounter involving a federal immigration officer on Portland Avenue South.

Local leadership response and public safety concerns

City leadership has repeatedly raised concerns that the federal deployment has created instability and heightened risk in public spaces. Following the Jan. 7 shooting, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey publicly called for federal immigration enforcement agents to leave the city and urged residents to exercise their constitutional rights through peaceful demonstrations.

Investigators are expected to rely on video evidence, officer accounts, radio traffic, and forensic findings to determine whether use of force complied with law and policy.

What to watch next

• Release of autopsy findings and any formal determination of cause and manner of death by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner.
• Whether additional body-worn camera footage or investigative summaries are made public.
• Any administrative findings on policy compliance, training, and command oversight related to the encounter.

For now, the administrative leave decision marks an early procedural step, not a final determination of fault, as investigators work to establish a comprehensive timeline of events leading to Pretti’s death.