[ad_1]
To remain updated on our newest investigations, be part of Bellingcat’s WhatsApp channel right here
On January 24, Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse on the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Well being Care System, was shot and killed by federal brokers on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The capturing comes simply over two weeks after Renee Good was shot and killed by a federal agent in the identical metropolis
The US Division of Homeland Safety claimed Pretti was killed after an “armed battle” with DHS officers and that it appeared he had needed to “do most harm”. But video footage shared on-line, exhibiting shortly earlier than and in the course of the incident, seems to contradict that declare.
Among the earliest accessible footage of the encounter was posted to Instagram and exhibits an agent crossing the road to speak to Pretti who seems to be filming together with his telephone, which he’s holding in his proper hand. In response to DHS, brokers have been conducting an immigration arrest within the space.
The agent will be seen inserting his hand on Pretti’s torso to push him again and away from the center of the highway in direction of the sidewalk.
One other video shared on Reddit exhibits what occurred after this preliminary contact, in addition to the lead-up to the capturing. Pretti seems to place himself between two ladies after they have been each shoved by a DHS agent. He’s holding a cellphone, held sideways in his proper hand.
An agent can then be seen spraying Pretti with a substance from a canister, and persevering with to spray him as he turns his again to him. At the very least 5 further federal brokers strategy and try to power Pretti to the bottom whereas one seems to strike him with a twig can.
Twenty-five seconds after Pretti is first sprayed, a shot is heard adopted by 9 extra photographs within the span of about six seconds. Further video from the scene exhibits Pretti mendacity immobile on the bottom.
Video Evaluation
Bellingcat additional analysed the Reddit video, a separate video posted to Fb and others taken on the scene to interrupt down the important thing moments of the capturing, splicing them collectively (see Bluesky publish under) to view in additional granular element.
We’ve positioned the accessible movies of the capturing of Alex Pretti by federal brokers in Minneapolis immediately into the identical synchronised timeline and are persevering with to analyse additional.
— Bellingcat (@bellingcat.com) 24 January 2026 at 20:39
Nearer inspection of the movies exhibits that an agent seems to take away a weapon from the melee earlier than the primary photographs are fired.
In each the Reddit and Fb video, a federal agent carrying a gray jacket will be seen approaching federal brokers who’re on prime of and battling Pretti. Notably, the agent’s fingers are empty as he approaches. He will be seen reaching into and rummaging amid the our bodies. About twelve seconds later, he’s seen carrying a handgun away from the scene.
One other video, additionally posted to Reddit, exhibits the agent eradicating a gun from a holster in Pretti’s waistband earlier than he’s shot.
A number of elements of the gun the federal agent is seen transferring away with seem to match the gun DHS declare belonged to Pretti (and which they posted to X), a Sig Sauer P320, chambered in 9mm. Some posts on-line mistakenly claimed the photograph of the gun was outdated attributable to a misunderstanding of Google Reverse Picture Search.
Whereas some regulation enforcement businesses difficulty Sig Sauer P320 weapons to their brokers, the gun that DHS claims Pretti had is personalized, and visually distinct from these which are customary difficulty.
These distinct options embody a white pistol grip, black pistol body, brown slide, and a crimson dot sight mounted atop the slide. The crimson dot sight and these numerous colors are seen on the gun the federal agent is seen leaving with.
Earlier than the agent who takes the gun leaves the scene, it seems somebody shouts “gun”, as will be heard on this video that was posted to X, and one other video posted to Reddit.
This Reddit video additionally exhibits that just about instantly after the agent within the gray jacket leaves with the gun, a single gunshot will be heard, adopted by 9 different photographs.
Slowing it down, the identical video exhibits that because the federal agent within the gray jacket removes Pretti’s gun, an agent in a black beanie, who seems to have a line of sight on the gun being eliminated, begins to attract his personal weapon. As quickly because the agent within the gray jacket strikes away with the gun and leaves, the agent within the black beanie steps to the place the agent within the gray jacket had been together with his finger on the set off and fires the primary shot.
Two brokers seem to fireside their weapons from the footage accessible, one carrying a black beanie and one other carrying a brown beanie, as will be seen on this video.
Similtaneously the primary shot is fired, the agent within the gray jacket is leaving with the gun taken from Pretti’s holster. An alternate angle seems exhibits that the slide of this firearm doesn’t transfer to the rear. This may point out that it was not fired. A number of brokers, together with the agent within the gray jacket, look in direction of the person within the black beanie instantly after the primary shot. Regardless of some on-line hypothesis, there’s as but no proof that Pretti’s gun was fired.
Bellingcat synced and slowed three movies to indicate the place the agent within the black beanie, and gray jacket, with each drawn weapons are when the primary shot happens. What some commenters have urged is influence marks seem like snow, that’s seen earlier than any photographs happen.
Three-way video sync and sluggish+zoom exhibiting the second of the primary shot earlier than Alex Pretti was killed by DHS brokers in Minneapolis yesterday.
There’s some claims that Pretti’s gun was the supply of the primary shot after it was taken from him, although in these movies it does not seem that is the case.
— Jake Godin (@godin.bsky.social) 25 January 2026 at 18:33
Whatsmore, the agent with the black beanie’s proper arm that was seen holding the gun strikes backwards as the primary shot is heard, doubtless as a result of recoil from firing.
After firing as soon as, the agent within the black beanie repositions, after which rapidly fires three extra photographs at Pretti’s again at shut vary whereas he seems to attempt to arise.
On this video, a number of brokers are piled on prime of Pretti whereas his fingers will be seen in entrance of him, on the bottom. His fingers stay in entrance of him because the agent within the gray jacket recovers the gun and strikes away.
Pretti collapses onto the bottom after the primary photographs and the brokers again away. A second agent (the one carrying the brown beanie hat) then attracts his gun and fires at the very least one shot. That is the fifth shot that’s heard. The agent within the black beanie will be seen and heard firing extra photographs. Photographs 5 by way of ten all fired at Pretti’s immobile physique.
The brokers will be seen from one other angle, with the agent within the black beanie visibly firing into Pretti’s immobile physique.
A video taken shortly after the capturing exhibits two brokers looking out Pretti’s physique with one showing to be heard asking: “The place’s the gun?”.
Bellingcat contacted the Division of Homeland Safety to ask why Pretti was shot and killed and whether or not he was in possession of his gun when the primary photographs have been fired.
DHS didn’t reply by time of publication.
DHS and CBP statements have to date solely acknowledged that one agent fired photographs, figuring out them as an eight yr veteran of Customs and Border Patrol who fired “defensive photographs”. It’s not identified which of the 2 brokers who appeared to fireside photographs within the movies analysed by Bellingcat is an eight yr veteran of CBP.
Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, on CNN the day after the capturing, when proven video of the gun being eliminated earlier than the capturing and requested why border patrol brokers shot an unarmed man mentioned, “You don’t know he was unarmed. I don’t know he was unarmed.” Deputy Lawyer Common Todd Blanche, when requested if Pretti was unarmed, mentioned on Meet the Press, “I have no idea and no one else is aware of both, which is why we’re doing an investigation”.
Within the identical CNN interview, Bovino additionally mentioned that “The victims are the Border Patrol brokers.” and that “The suspect [Pretti] put himself in that state of affairs.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara mentioned that Pretti was a authorized gun proprietor with a allow to hold and didn’t have a legal file.
Jake Godin, Trevor Ball, Kolina Koltai and Carlos Gonzales contributed to this report.
Bellingcat is a non-profit and the power to hold out our work depends on the type help of particular person donors. If you want to help our work, you are able to do so right here. You can even subscribe to our Patreon channel right here. Subscribe to our E-newsletter and observe us on Bluesky right here and Mastodon right here.
[ad_2]
