Federal agent secured gun from Minn. man before fatal shooting, videos show

[SunSeeker]

Source: Washington Post

Federal agents who were wrestling a man to the ground in Minneapolis early Saturday secured a handgun he was carrying moments before shooting him multiple times, according to a Washington Post analysis of videos that captured the incident from several angles.

As many as eight agents were attempting to detain Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, videos show. One emerged from the scrum holding Pretti’s gun, having removed it from his waistband area. Less than a second later, the first of what appear to be 10 shots was fired. It is not clear from the video whether the other agents realized Pretti — who local authorities believe had a permit to carry the weapon — had been disarmed.

Department of Homeland Security officials have said agents were on Nicollet Street conducting a “targeted operation” against another person when they encountered the man later identified as Pretti. DHS posted to X that “an individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun.” The statement said it appeared the man wanted to “massacre” law enforcement.

“The officers attempted to disarm this individual, but the armed suspect reacted violently,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem said at a news conference. “Fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him, an agent fired defensive shots.”

Link to tweet

Archive link: https://archive.ph/E3zJ4

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/01/25/minneapolis-shooting-video-gun/

---

Oh my, has Trump lost the Washington Post?

[UpInArms]

1. He was disarmed and shot in the back

Murdered by a mob of thugs

[SunSeeker]

2. Yup, they shot a pinned down, unarmed man point blank in the back.

I'm actually surprised none of the ICE goons were hit by the bullets, although they did scatter pretty fast once their guy started spraying bullets.

The only people who endangered ICE lives that day were fellow ICE agents.

[DarthDem]

3. Sort of, yeah . . .

The headline and main content certainly lean against the ICE actions. But note that the WaPo writeup still engages in a little CYA, noting that it was "not clear" if the other individuals realized that their colleague had disarmed the late Mr. Pretti. As if that excuses them shooting him while he was defenseless on the ground. Also, I believe LE officers are trained to shout out to their fellows that they've secured a weapon in such a situation, which should have prevented the killing. So, in sum, WaPo did better than you'd expect here, but still fell short of actual journalism.

[SunSeeker]

5. Headline now at WSJ: Videos Contradict U.S. Account of Minneapolis Shooting by Federal Agents

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/videos-contradict-u-s-account-of-minneapolis-shooting-by-federal-agents-fbe1e488

Baby steps.

But the feds have lost the narrative for sure.

[DarthDem]

9. Agree completely

Baby steps is a great way to describe it, and they have lost the narrative just as you say. I am just so routinely disgusted by WaPo and the NYT that I felt the need to add my small observation.

[IbogaProject]

4. The gun had been confiscated

Last edited Sun Jan 25, 2026, 05:24 PM - Edit history (1)

And they all started shooting. So the term "secured" while maybe an accurate law enforcement term under normal circumstances doesn't make clear that those "agents" are violating federal law and incompetent.

I can't confirm whether the agent accidentially discharged the gun so I edited down my title.

[SunSeeker]

6. I haven't read that he shot Pretti's gun. Got a link?

I see an agent grabbing Pretti's gun and walking away with it, but not shooting it.

[littlemissmartypants]

10. Conflicting reports for sure. One report is "took it and ran away." From ABC news this morning.

[SunSeeker]

12. There are no credible reports nor videos showing Pretti's gun being fired at the scene.

That's why I'm asking for a link. But nobody is giving me one...

[littlemissmartypants]

13. I don't believe he did. I saw a video that contradicts the notion, too.

I just can't watch anymore videos.

Propaganda fighting is hard.

Disinformation is Misinformation sharing done Deliberately. Bless you for challenging the bullshit, SunSeeker. ❤️

[littlemissmartypants]

11. Agree with the "secured" statement. Unclear about the gun used. I'll wait for ballistics.

If we get a real investigation, that is.

[James48]

14. The gun was stolen by a gang of masked armed men.

Accurate. True.

[struggle4progress]

7. 'I got his gun and fired it, so yall can shoot him in the back now and claim self-defense'

[SunSeeker]

8. I don't see them firing Pretti's gun. Where did you read that? nt

[struggle4progress]

19. ... The Department of Homeland Security said the Border Patrol agent fired "defensive shots,"

fearing for his life because Pretti had a 9mm semiautomatic handgun. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claimed Pretti intended to "kill" and "inflict maximum damage." Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said Pretti planned to "massacre" federal agents. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller called Pretti a "would-be assassin" ...

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alex-pretti-minneapolis-shooting-causes-internal-anger-dhs/

[SunSeeker]

24. There is nothing in that CBS News piece about Pretti's gun being fired by anyone.

[struggle4progress]

20. ... Pretti was pinned on the street by multiple federal agents -- visibly being hit by one of them --

-- when one of the officers can be seen leaving the struggle with what appears to be a gun ...

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/minute-minute-timeline-fatal-shooting-alex-pretti-federal/story?id=129547199

[struggle4progress]

22. ... While Pretti seems to have been pinned on the street by officers, one of the agents is seen

in multiple verified videos emerging from the scrum with a handgun that appears to match the weapon federal officials say Pretti was carrying. Before the first shot is fired, another agent can be seen drawing his own handgun, while another repeatedly hits Pretti. In total, 10 shots were fired in less than five seconds, according to a forensic audio analysis of the videos. Pretti was declared dead on the scene ...

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/minute-minute-timeline-fatal-shooting-alex-pretti-federal/story?id=129547199

[SunSeeker]

23. There is nothing in that ABC News piece about Pretti's gun going off.

[Jack Valentino]

15. This shooting was a SUMMARY EXECUTION....

(not that the previous shooting of the Good woman was not--)


If any summary executions are called for,
I can think of some prime candidates for a few---


Some of those candidates I cannot identify,
but some of them I could---

since they don't wear masks but have extraordinarily big and lying mouths,
and have violated their oaths to the U.S. Constitution,
and support this illegal, un-constitutional and dictatorial attempt
to intimidate the American people....


STILL WAITING to see actual evidence of the supposed
'attacks upon ICE Agents'--- which they have failed to produce......



Quite possibly, some ICE Agents suffered from nose-bleeds
due to some 'sternly worded letter'.....

but I have yet to see any video evidence of any such nose-bleeds, either......

[Martin68]

16. This should be a turning point. I hope so. Otherwise, it is war.

[camartinwv]

17. I do not know enough about guns to know if this is valid. Video of some gun expert going through video sayin Pretti gun

https://youtube.com/shorts/SrsTTuuDMeM?si=uMosHkswqAa2YUrk

[DallasNE]

18. When I Saw That Video Earlier

I asked, "Was Pretti shot with his own gun?"

You could see the Border Agent pull an object from Pretti's pants, then go back into the scrum with the Pretti gun being held in a firing position in his hand. Then the gun disappeared from view behind other agents before the agent pulled back out with the gun still in a shooting position, and he hightailed it out of there.

It looked like the opportunity was there for Pretti's weapon to be fired, but no clear evidence that it was (or wasn't) fired. That will have to wait until the ballistic evidence is released. It would be clearer if the video were in slow-motion, too.

[travelingthrulife]

21. Yes, and every single member of this Republican shitshow went on the air and lied about it.

They are all accessories.