Shots in the Crowd – Minneapolis on the Brink of Escalation – This Was Murder

– Advance notice – This article contains highly sensitive footage –

On Saturday, Minneapolis was pushed further into a state that can hardly still be described as an exception, but rather as a new reality. Once again, a man has died from gunfire by federal agents. Alex Pretti, 37 years old, an intensive care nurse. Once again, it happened in the context of a protest. Once again, crucial seconds remain unclear. And once again, politics and security authorities are responding with words that escalate the situation rather than calm it.

A video recorded by a bystander and analyzed by us shows the situation shortly before the shots were fired. On Nicollet Avenue, whistles can be heard, shouting, anger. An officer pushes aside a person wearing a brown jacket, green skirt, and black tights. The person reaches for a man, the two hold on to each other, embrace. The man, also wearing a brown jacket and black hat, Alex Pretti, is apparently holding his phone toward the officer. The same officer pushes him in the chest with his hand. Both lose their balance and fall backward, still holding on to each other.

This is neither self defense, nor a threat to officers, this is murder

The video jumps, then returns. The two separate. Three officers surround the man, shortly afterward there are at least seven. One kneels on his back, another holds a canister in his hand and strikes the man against the upper body. Several officers try to pull his arms behind his back. The man is visibly resisting. His face is briefly visible. The officer with the canister strikes again, also toward the head. Then a shot is fired. Surrounded by officers, it is not possible to tell from which direction it was fired. More shots are heard. The officers step back. The man remains motionless on the street.

Shortly afterward, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office requested support from the National Guard. Units are to be deployed at the Whipple Federal Building to free up forces and secure other areas. Officially, this is about protecting life and property and ensuring public assemblies. In reality, it is another sign of how serious the situation is now considered to be.

Alex Pretti, 37 years old, intensive care nurse – Killed on January 24, 2026 by an ICE agent – Alex Jeffrey Pretti was holding a mobile phone in his hand. He was sprayed twice with pepper spray, his phone was taken from him. His firearm was holstered, his hands were empty. A federal agent removed the weapon, and afterward Alex Pretti was shot multiple times. Alex Pretti had a valid permit for his firearm.

From Washington, meanwhile, came words that act like accelerants. Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller publicly labeled the killed man a “domestic terrorist” and a “potential assassin.” He provided no evidence. President Donald Trump himself sharply attacked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and the mayor of Minneapolis. They were fueling an uprising, he wrote, spoke of “dangerous rhetoric,” and questioned why local police had not protected ICE. At the same time, he released images of a weapon that federal agents claim to have secured at the scene.

In Minneapolis, everything now seems possible – We will, as best as we can under the circumstances, report live

This escalation stands in striking contrast to the words of his vice president JD Vance, who during a visit to Minneapolis had spoken of wanting to calm the situation. Trump, however, once again raised the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, even though Vance stated that this was currently not considered necessary. On the ground, anger is growing. Many point out that, according to the police chief, the man was a lawful American gun owner with a carry permit. The Department of Homeland Security speaks of “defensive shots.” The images show something else: a dense crowd, physical force, blows, then shots. Whether and how these two narratives fit together is one of the central unanswered questions.

Adding to this is another piece of information that further fuels tensions. Federal authorities confirmed that the agent who fired the fatal shots is an eight year veteran of the Border Patrol. For many in Minneapolis, this reinforces the impression that a heavily armed federal presence is being deployed in policing situations for which it is neither trained nor intended.

The city is in shock. At the same time, fears of further escalation during the night are growing. Despite calls for calm, many assume that the protests will expand. Not only because of the death of a man, but because of the way it is being discussed. When top political figures label people as terrorists before any investigation and publicly delegitimize local officials, there is no room for clarification.

Minneapolis has thus once again become a flashpoint. Two deadly shootings by federal agents within a few weeks, an inflamed deportation policy, and language from Washington that seeks confrontation – one in which escalation is not only accepted, but politically exploited.

We will continue to report live throughout the entire night and hope that the worst outbreaks of violence can be avoided. Personally, we are currently in a fog, unable to believe it, and yet it is reality – a reality one looks so deeply in the eye here as in no other place in America.