A Border Patrol officerfatally shot a manin Minneapolis on Saturday morning, ignitingfurther tensionbetween local leaders and the federal government over heightened immigration enforcement actions in the city.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the shooting occurred Saturday morning while Border Patrol officers were conducting an immigration enforcement operation. Federal officials said a man armed with a handgun approached the officers, who fired "defensive shots" after the man resisted an attempt to disarm him.
The person killed has been identified asAlex Pretti, a Minneapolis resident and VA nurse. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara confirmed he was a U.S. citizen with a permit to carry a firearm.
Several bystandersrecorded videosof the encounter from different angles. Videos do not show Pretti wielding a gun.
Another person has been fatally shot by federal law enforcement in Minneapolis, officials said on Jan. 24. The shooting comes just over two weeks after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was shot in the head by a federal immigration officer in a residential neighborhood south of downtown. See the scene of a shooting." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Man fatally shot by federal officers in Minneapolis. Photos show the scene
Another personhas been fatally shot by federal law enforcementin Minneapolis, officials said on Jan. 24. The shooting comes just over two weeksafter 37-year-old Renee Nicole Goodwas shot in the head by a federal immigration officer in a residential neighborhood south of downtown. See the scene of a shooting.
This is thesecond fatal shootingin Minneapolis after Trump sent thousands of federal immigration officers to the city in what the administration says is the"largest immigration enforcement operation ever."
Officials have warned residents to avoid the area of Saturday's shooting as protesters clashed with federal agents still on scene. Gov.Tim Walzmobilized the Minnesota National Guard to protect a federal building in Minneapolis and the scene where the fatal shooting happened.
Follow along for the latest updates.
More:Police improved community relations after George Floyd. Is ICE a setback?
'Heartbroken but also very angry,' Pretti's family says in statement
Pretti's family released a statement late Saturday evening that expressed the family'sgrief over the 37-year-oldand also celebrated him as a "hero."
"We are heartbroken but also very angry," the family said in a statement shared withCNN. "Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the hero term lightly. However his last thought and act was to protect a woman."
Bystander video appears to show Pretti confronting authorities holding a cell phone after one federal agent shoves a woman.
The family also slammed the Trump administration for its characterization of Pretti as someone who came with a gun to "kill law enforcement."
"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. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed," the family said. "Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you."
Pretti's family did not immediately reply to USA TODAY requests for comment.
Trump DOJ Bondi targets Walz in new letter
U.S. Attorney GeneralPam Bondiin the wake of the fatal shooting spelled out a list of demands in a letter to Walz that she says will restore "law and order" in the state.
According to a copy of thelettershared by Fox News, the DOJ's demands include Minnesota share state records related to welfare and subsidized healthcare programs; repeal sanctuary city laws; and share state voter registration records.
"You and your office must restore the rule of law, support ICE officers, and bring an end to the chaos in Minnesota," Bondi wrote. "I am confident that these simple steps will help bring back law and order to Minnesota and improve the lives of Americans."
The attorney general's letter broadly condemns Walz's administration, accusing the former candidate for vice president of inciting resistance to immigration enforcement. Bondi demanded the state help Homeland Security officers conducting raids in Minnesota.
Walz's office did not immediately reply to requests for comment. Justice Department officials also did not reply to requests for information.
Democrats refuse to advance bills to avoid government shutdown after shooting
The latest deadly altercation in Minneapolis is threatening to imperil an11th-hour scramble in Congressto get the last of its appropriations bills passed in less than a week. And it's prompting calls to strip out a Department of Homeland Security funding measure for a separate vote amid aspiking risk of a partial shutdownon the heels of last year's record-breaking crisis.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said in a statement after a Border Patrol agent shot and killed a 37-year-old man that Senate Democrats won't support keeping the government fully open while also funding DHS.
"What's happening in Minnesota is appalling – and unacceptable in any American city," he said. "Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included."
DHS Secretary Noem says Pretti 'committed an act of domestic terrorism'
Homeland SecuritySecretary Kristi Noemtold reporters on Saturday that she agreed with the White House that Pretti "committed an act ofdomestic terrorism."
"This individual who came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers committed an act of domestic terrorism," said Noem, adding the semiautomatic handgun and two magazines Pretti was carrying indicated he intended to "inflictmaximum damageand kill law enforcement."
Pretti had a permit to carry a gun. He is not seen wielding a weapon in bystander video. Widely circulated footage of the incident appears to show agents disarm Pretti before shots are fired.
The fatal shooting sparked large-scale protests at the scene, Noem said. A Homeland Security Investigations agent had his fingerbitten offduring the melee, according to the secretary.
Noem blamed the "tragic situation" on Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Frey for calling immigration authorities "the Gestapo." She said the pair "need to take a long hard look in the mirror."
Who is Alex Pretti?What we know about the man killed by Border Patrol
Government union calls DHS narrative 'clearly not established'
The American Federation of Government Employees, a government union that represented Pretti in his work at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, blasted Homeland Security for saying their account of the fatal shooting.
"DHS has publicly stated that the victim was brandishing a weapon at officers," the union said in astatement. "However, based on the video currently available, that claim is not clearly established."
Union officials offered condolences for Pretti, a registered nurse.
"What we do know is this: a member of our union lost their life today, and that alone is devastating. Our hearts are heavy, and we are deeply stricken by this tragedy that has befallen one of our own," the group said.
The union said Pretti was a member of AFGE Local 3669, the group representing workers at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. Union officials are investigating whether the Border Patrol agent involved in the shooting was a union member, the group said in a statement.
Minnesota National Guard deployed after fatal shooting
Minnesota National Guard members on Saturday "mobilized from a ready posture to active support" of a federal building in Minneapolis and the scene where the fatal shooting happened, a national guard spokesperson told USA TODAY.
Gov. Tim Walz and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office requested the guard members deploy to secure the site of the shooting and the Whipple Federal Building, a known immigration authority staging area that's become a hotspot for protesters, according to the statement.
"The Minnesota National Guard's mission remains the same: preserving life, protecting property, and ensuring Minnesotans can safely exercise their First Amendment rights," Army Maj. Andrea Tsuchiya, a state national guard public affairs officer, said in a statement.
State officials did not immediately respond to requests for information on how many troops would be deployed or how long the deployment would last.
Timberwolves-Warriors game postponed after Minneapolis shooting
TheMinnesota Timberwolves' game against theGolden State Warriorsin Minneapolis on Saturday, Jan. 24 was postponed hours afterfederal officers shot and killed a manin the city .
"The decision was made to prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community," theTimberwolves said in a statement.
The game will be pushed back 24 hours and is now scheduled for 4:30 p.m. local time on Sunday, Jan. 25.
The game was supposed to aired nationally by ABC as part of a tripleheader.
− Marcus D. Smith
Bystander videos show deadly encounter
Several bystandersrecorded videoof the deadly encounter from various angles.
Federal officials said that Pretti approached Border Patrol agents with a handgun and agents tried to disarm him. In videos, Pretti is seen holding up his cell phone towards officers; local officials have told protesters to use their cell phones to record agents conducting immigration enforcement. At no point is Pretti seen wielding a gun.
One video with a clear view of the encounter shows an officer shoving a person near Pretti. Pretti steps between them, and the officer sprays him with a chemical spray. More officers approach and wrestle Pretti to the ground, striking him repeatedly. Pretti is on his hands and knees with at least eight officers surrounding him when a gunshot is heard. The officers surrounding Pretti jump back and one appears to draw a gun. A series of gunshots are heard and Pretti slumps to the ground, followed by further gunshots.
Man killed identified as Alex Pretti
The man fatally shot has been identified as Alex Pretti, according to the Associated Press and the Minnesota Star Tribune. The Associated Press reported Pretti's parents confirmed his identity, and said he was an intensive care unit nurse.
USA TODAY has reached out to Pretti's family.
Gov.Walz demands state lead shooting investigation
During news conference Saturday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz insisted his state lead the investigation into the shooting while calling for protests to remain peaceful.
"Minnesota's justice system will have the last word on this. It must have the last word," Walz said. "As I told the White House in no uncertain terms this morning, The federal government cannot be trusted to lead this investigation."
He also said the state could take legal action against federal agents and officials involved.
"Minnesotans are witnessing, and we're creating a log of evidence for the future prosecution of ICE agents and officials responsible for this," Walz said.
Walz, a Democrat, encouraged residents to protest but urged them to remain peaceful: "They think they can provoke us into abandoning our values. Well, they're dead wrong. We will keep the peace. We'll secure the justice with our neighbors, and we'll see this occupation ends."
Bovino defends Border Patrol agent's actions
Gregory Bovino, Border Patrol commander-at-large, defended the actions of the officer who shot and killed the man.
In a news briefing, Bovino said the officer has been a Border Patrol agent for eight years. He has training as a "range safety officer" and "less lethal officer," said Bovino, who didn't give the agent's name.
"This is only the latest attack on law enforcement," Bovino told reporters. "Across the country, the men and women of DHS have been attacked, shot at, doxxed, had their family members threatened."
More:Will another deadly shooting bring another government shutdown?
Trump accuses mayor and governor 'inciting insurrection'
PresidentDonald Trumpposted on his Truth Social platform after the shooting, asking why local police did not protect ICE officers.
"The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves — Not an easy thing to do!" he wrote.
Trump's comment came soon after Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called on the president to "take action now to remove these federal agents." Frey and Walz have repeatedly called for an end to the aggressive immigration enforcement campaign in the state.
"The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric!" Trump wrote in his post. "Instead, these sanctimonious political fools should be looking for the Billions of Dollars that has been stolen from the people of Minnesota, and the United States of America. LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB!"
− Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
DHS: Armed man approached Border Patrol officers
U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the shooting occurred while officers were conducting an immigration enforcement operation. At around 9:05 a.m. local time, a person armed with a handgun approached Border Patrol officers, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
"The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted. ... Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots." McLaughlin said.
Medics immediately tried to deliver medical aid to the subject, McLaughlin said, but he was pronounced dead on scene. McLaughlin didn't identify the person killed.
Man shot believed to be Minneapolis resident, US citizen, police chief says
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the person killed was believed to be a 37-year-old White male who is a city resident and U.S. citizen with a permit to carry a firearm.
Renee Good, who was also killed by immigration enforcement agents in Minneapolis, was 37, too.
O'Hara did not provide the name of the person killed.
City officials said the shooting − the city's third since federal immigration agents have surged into the Midwestern city − took place in the area of 26th Street West and Nicollet Avenue.
Minneapolis mayor to Trump: 'This is a moment to act like a leader'
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, pleaded with President Trump to halt the surge of federal agents in his city, stressing it hasn't made the community safer.
He addressed the White House directly at a news conference, saying: "To President Trump, this is a moment to act like a leader. Put Minneapolis, put America first, in this moment. Let's achieve peace. Let's end this operation, and I'm telling you our city will come back. Safety will be restored."
Tensions high after previous ICE shooting in Minneapolis
On Jan. 7, an ICE officer shot and killed37-year-old Renee Nicole Goodin a residential neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis.
Good's killing launcheda wave of demonstrationsagainst the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement actions andlegal battlesbetween Minnesota's state and local officials and the federal government.
Some 3,000 immigration agents have swarmed the Minneapolis region as part of the "largest immigration enforcement operation ever," according to the Department of Homeland Security. The agency says over 3,000 undocumented immigrants have been detained as part of the operation.
This is a developing story.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Minneapolis shooting live updates: Man killed ID'd as Alex Pretti
