An expert has shared his view on a detail that might offer a clue as to why Alex Pretti was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents on Saturday, January 24.
Less than a month after the killing of 37‑year‑old mother Renee Good sparked nationwide outrage, another U.S. citizen has died in what appears to be a completely avoidable incident.
Pretti, an ICU nurse who regularly cared for U.S. military veterans, clashed with ICE agents on Saturday and was pepper‑sprayed and restrained before being shot multiple times at close range.
ICE has maintained a heavy presence in Minneapolis in recent weeks, attempting to detain individuals suspected of being in the U.S. illegally. Frequent clashes with protesters have heightened tensions, while the earlier shooting of Renee Good on January 7 was met with widespread dismay.
Tragically, this past weekend brought yet another apparently innocent citizen into an unnecessary fatal encounter. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem accused Pretti of brandishing a gun at federal agents, claiming he “wanted to do maximum damage” and “massacre law enforcement.”
Meanwhile, Donald Trump took to social media, labeling Pretti a gunman and sharing a photo of the firearm taken from him. But as with the aftermath of Good’s shooting, video footage has since emerged that appears to contradict those initial claims. Reports indicate Pretti had a legal permit to carry a firearm, and that the gun was removed from his holster by Border Patrol agents before he was fatally shot.
One video shows the nurse trying to protect two women, with only a phone visible in his hand.
While it is undisputed that Pretti was carrying a firearm, an expert has now weighed in on how the gun might have accidentally contributed to his death.
Rob Doar, a lawyer for the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, suggested that Pretti’s firearm may have discharged accidentally after an agent took it, prompting another agent to open fire under the belief they were under attack. On X, he wrote: “I believe it’s highly likely the first shot was a negligent discharge from the agent in the grey jacket after he removed the Sig P320 from Pretti’s holster while exiting the scene.”
Again, video evidence indicates the fatal shots were unnecessary, as Pretti had already been disarmed and was restrained on the ground.
In response to the Trump administration portraying the 37‑year‑old as a threat to ICE officers, his family issued a statement condemning the “sickening lies.”
“The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs,” they said.
“He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down, all while being pepper‑sprayed.
“Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.”
