Federal Probes Scrutinize Evidence and Statements After Alex Pretti Killing
Investigators review body-camera footage and chain-of-custody questions after Alex Pretti was fatally shot on Jan. 24, 2026.
Overview
U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud issued an order on Jan. 26, 2026, prohibiting the destruction or alteration of evidence and setting a 2 p.m. hearing in St. Paul in the investigation of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, according to court filings.
Forensic audio analysis and multiple bystander videos indicate about 10 shots were fired in less than five seconds at 9:01:14 a.m. on Jan. 24, 2026, as Border Patrol agents shot Alex Jeffrey Pretti, records show.
The Department of Homeland Security said Homeland Security Investigations is leading the federal inquiry with FBI assistance, and Secretary Kristi Noem publicly defended agents' actions, officials confirmed.
Minnesota has deployed legal actions and requested access to evidence, with Attorney General Keith Ellison suing for access and Gov. Tim Walz seeking withdrawal of roughly 3,000 federal immigration agents under Operation Metro Surge, records show.
Investigators face questions about the chain of custody for Pretti's Sig Sauer P320 and whether body-worn camera footage will be released, and officials said additional forensic analysis and interviews are ongoing.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story around accountability and transparency, emphasizing public outrage and institutional silence. They use terms like 'sparked protests' and 'national flashpoint', foreground DHS nonresponse and FOIA requests, and link the shooting to prior ICE violence—choices that prioritize systemic critique and the demand for bodycam evidence over sympathetic administration perspectives.
Sources (200)
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FAQ
On January 24, 2026, Border Patrol agents shot Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old VA ICU nurse, near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis while pursuing an undocumented immigrant into a donut shop. Pretti was directing traffic across the street when agents confronted him, sprayed mace, and fired about 10 shots in under 5 seconds.
Pretti legally possessed a Sig Sauer P320 handgun, but bystander videos, witness testimony, and frame-by-frame analysis by BBC and CNN show he held his phone in his right hand with nothing visible in his left, and an agent removed the gun from him amid a scrum before shots were fired.
Homeland Security Investigations leads the probe with FBI assistance, reviewing body-camera footage, forensic audio, bystander videos, chain of custody for Pretti's gun, and conducting interviews. U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud ordered preservation of evidence and scheduled a hearing on January 26, 2026.
Attorney General Keith Ellison sued for access to evidence, and Governor Tim Walz called for withdrawing about 3,000 federal immigration agents from Minnesota under Operation Metro Surge, criticizing federal falsehoods about Pretti.
DHS and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino claimed Pretti approached with a handgun intending harm, labeling him a domestic terrorist, but this was contradicted by videos showing no brandishing and agents retrieving his legally owned gun.
History
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