Alex Pretti: Minneapolis Nurse Suffered Broken Rib in Prior Clash with Federal Agents Days Before Fatal Shooting

Minneapolis, MN – January 27, 2026 – A 37-year-old intensive care nurse and U.S. citizen, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, who was fatally shot by federal agents during an immigration enforcement operation on January 24, had reportedly sustained a broken rib in a violent encounter with federal officers just a week earlier, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Pretti, an ICU nurse employed at a Veterans Affairs facility in Minneapolis, was killed in the Whittier neighborhood near Nicollet Avenue and 26th Street around 9:05 a.m. on Saturday. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that Border Patrol agents were conducting a targeted operation when Pretti approached them armed with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun. Officials claimed he violently resisted efforts to disarm him, prompting agents to fire in self-defense.

Bystander videos circulating online, however, have fueled conflicting accounts. Footage appears to show multiple agents surrounding Pretti, pepper-spraying him, wrestling him to the ground, and removing a firearm from his waistband before multiple shots— at least 10 according to some reports—were fired, striking him as he lay pinned. Pretti held a valid firearms permit and had no significant criminal history beyond minor traffic violations, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed.

Adding to the growing controversy, sources told CNN that Pretti had come to the attention of federal authorities prior to the fatal incident. Approximately one week before his death, while observing or protesting an ICE operation, he was tackled by a group of federal officers—five, by his account—with one agent allegedly leaning on his back during the restraint. The encounter left him with a broken rib, and he later confided to associates that he feared for his life in such confrontations.

Pretti's family described him as a "kind-hearted soul" deeply committed to caring for patients, particularly veterans, and increasingly disturbed by aggressive immigration enforcement tactics in his community. His father, Michael Pretti, noted that his son "cared about people deeply" and was upset by the ongoing operations in Minneapolis.

The shooting marks the second fatal incident involving federal agents in the city this month, following the January 7 death of Renée Nicole Good, another U.S. citizen, during an ICE encounter. Minnesota officials, including Governor Tim Walz, have rejected federal narratives in both cases, calling for independent investigations amid widespread protests and public outrage.

DHS maintains that agents acted appropriately in self-defense, but critics and use-of-force experts have questioned the sequence of events shown in witness videos, which appear to contradict claims that Pretti posed an immediate lethal threat with his weapon drawn.

As calls for accountability intensify, federal authorities have reportedly been documenting information on local protesters and agitators in Minneapolis, including Pretti. No charges have been filed in connection with the January 24 incident, and investigations by multiple agencies remain ongoing. A candlelight vigil was held at the scene in the days following Pretti's death, reflecting the city's lingering shock and division over the escalating enforcement actions.

17GEN4.com