More than 55 hours after federal immigration officers fatally shot Alex Pretti on the streets of Minneapolis, the US government has still not released the name of the agent or agents responsible. The continued refusal to identify the shooters has intensified criticism from lawmakers, journalists, civil liberties advocates, and unions, who say the lack of transparency represents a sharp departure from standard law enforcement practice and raises serious accountability concerns.
Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse, was killed Saturday during a federal immigration operation in Minneapolis. Since the shooting, the Department of Homeland Security has declined to provide basic identifying information about the agents involved, even as video footage from multiple angles has emerged that appears to contradict the Trump administration’s public narrative of the incident.
As in the case of Renee Good, who was shot by a federal agent earlier this month, administration officials quickly portrayed Pretti as a dangerous threat. The Trump administration described Pretti as a “terrorist” planning to “massacre law enforcement,” a claim for which it has provided no evidence beyond the fact that he was carrying a handgun. Local police have said that Pretti legally owned the firearm.
Video footage described in the reporting shows a sequence of events that diverges from those claims. Pretti is seen filming federal agents with his phone. He is then shown guiding another person toward the sidewalk as an agent forcefully shoves a third person to the ground. An agent appears to pepper-spray Pretti and pull him away as additional officers approach and surround him. Several agents wrestle him to the ground and struggle with him for several seconds. As Pretti appears to try to get up, roughly 10 gunshots are heard, and he falls to the ground.
Additional footage obtained by Drop Site News appears to show two agents firing at least ten shots at Pretti as he lay on the ground. One of the agents appears to fire using a handgun identical to the one federal law enforcement later said Pretti was carrying. In the video, a woman filming from the sidewalk repeatedly shouts, “What the fuck did you do? What the fuck did you do?”
The footage contradicts statements made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who alleged that Pretti was “brandishing a weapon” and that agents fired “defensive shots” after he “violently resisted” arrest. During a press conference, Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino repeated the administration’s claims, asserting that Pretti aimed to “massacre” Border Patrol agents. Bovino did not explain when Pretti allegedly threatened officers with his gun.
The administration’s handling of the aftermath has drawn additional scrutiny. The Department of Homeland Security has not released identifying information about the agents who shot Pretti. In a move described as a significant break from standard law enforcement protocol, Bovino said the agents involved are “still working,” though they were moved out of Minneapolis.
Bovino said the agents were relocated “for their safety,” adding, “There’s this thing called doxxing.” Legally, doxxing refers to the public disclosure of private information such as home addresses or phone numbers with the intent to cause harm. However, the Trump administration and some Republican lawmakers have adopted a broader definition that treats even the identification of officers involved in fatal shootings as doxxing.
David J. Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, described the situation as “unreal.” “Bovino spirited the murderer out of Minnesota’s jurisdiction, yet they are still ‘working,’” Bier said. “I’ve never heard of that in any real police department. Never heard of that in the federal government either.” Bier added that “cops shot at people in seven different jurisdictions this year,” and that “in every case, the jurisdiction put the officers on admin leave as part of standard protocol.”
Journalists have also criticized the refusal to identify the shooter. S.V. Date, a White House correspondent at HuffPost, said the situation “means we have an unaccountable secret police force that answers only to Trump.” Referring to the masked agent involved, Date said, “This person has still not been identified.” He added, “In a real police force, that piece of information is released in the very first incident report.”
Members of Congress from both parties have called for a transparent investigation. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said the killing warranted a “thorough and impartial investigation,” warning that “any administration official who rushes to judgment and tries to shut down an investigation before it begins is doing an incredible disservice to the nation and to President Trump’s legacy.”
Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about federal interference with state investigations. Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota said, “Our state investigators had to get a warrant to have access to the evidence of the shooting of Alex Pretti.” She added, “And even then, the federal agents refused to give them access to the evidence. So this looks very much like another cover-up.”
The Trump administration has already shut down an investigation into the killing of Renee Good, stating it would not pursue wrongdoing by the agent involved while freezing out state-level investigators from information. Critics say the similarities between the two cases suggest a broader pattern.
Public reaction intensified after additional footage circulated. US Rep. Rashida Tlaib responded by saying, “Cowards.” Journalist Susan Glasser said the video “shows that the final act of his life was trying to help a woman who was being physically assaulted by the masked agents who would then kill him.” US Rep. Jimmy Gomez questioned the press conference itself, asking, “Why did… Commander Bovino only take two questions, then abruptly shut down the press conference?” He added, “Because he knows he can’t defend cold-blooded murder.”
Institutional pressure has also emerged from within the federal workforce. The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal workers, demanded the resignation or firing of Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Pretti worked at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center and was a member of AFGE Local 3669.
AFGE national president Everett Kelley said that “Noem betrayed the public trust by slandering the good name of our union brother and calling him a ‘domestic terrorist.’” Kelley added, “Noem was preceded in this false statement by Stephen Miller.” He continued, “Our demand is clear: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was responsible for carrying out the policy that led to Alex’s needless killing, and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, the architect of that policy, must resign immediately. If they refuse, President Trump must dismiss them.”
AFGE Local 3669 said Pretti “was dedicated to caring for veterans and treated them with decency and respect, sometimes in their final moments which is the exact opposite of how he was treated during his.” The local union added, “AFGE Local 3669 is disgusted by the abhorrent rhetoric of Trump administration officials following his killing. Alex was a son, a colleague, and a fellow union brother, not an ‘assassin’ or a ‘domestic terrorist,’” concluding, “Alex was the best of us and he will be dearly missed. Rest in power, brother.”
Calls for accountability have continued to escalate. Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia said, “I’ve called for the resignation of Kristi Noem, and I will vote for her impeachment.” He added, “She’s obstructing local authorities from investigating two murders committed in Minneapolis by DHS agents.”
While the White House has publicly backed Noem, reporting indicates heightened internal scrutiny. According to the New York Times, President Donald Trump held a two-hour meeting with Noem in the Oval Office but did not suggest her job was at risk. Politico reported that Noem elevated Greg Bovino to oversee operations in Minneapolis, where federal agents have killed two people this month, Pretti and Renee Good. Conflicting reports later emerged about Bovino’s status. The Atlantic reported he lost his job as Border Patrol’s “commander at large,” while a DHS spokesperson said he “has NOT been relieved of his duties” and remains a “key part of the president’s team.”
Stephen Miller has continued to push for aggressive immigration enforcement. According to the Wall Street Journal, Miller “has continued to push for aggressive immigration enforcement, arguing the administration shouldn’t back down in Minneapolis.” Miller also smeared Pretti as a “would-be assassin” who “tried to murder federal law enforcement,” claims the White House press secretary repeatedly declined to endorse when pressed by reporters.
Civil liberties groups have warned that withholding the identities of officers involved in fatal shootings has constitutional implications. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression has said that publishing the name of a law enforcement officer is generally protected speech under Supreme Court rulings that safeguard the publication of truthful information.
As questions remain about who fired the shots that killed Alex Pretti and why those individuals remain unidentified, the administration has offered few answers. As Sen. Smith said, “So this looks very much like another cover-up.”
COMMENTS