Following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old man by federal immigration officers, the Governor of Minnesota has stepped forward with a strong response.
MINNEAPOLIS — Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota pledged that the state would spearhead an investigation into the incident, which occurred Saturday morning in Minneapolis.
During a news conference held just hours post-incident, Walz emphasized that state authorities would not be sidelined by federal agencies in this investigation.
“My message to the federal government is clear: Minnesota’s judicial system will have the final say,” Walz declared. “As I conveyed to the White House earlier today, the federal authorities are not equipped to lead this investigation. Minnesota will take charge. End of discussion.”
Attorney General Keith Ellison of Minnesota also released a statement, indicating that state officials would initiate legal proceedings on Monday to halt the federal enforcement actions.
“I resonate with the profound sorrow and outrage over the loss of another Minnesotan — Alex Pretti, 37, an ICU nurse dedicated to serving veterans,” Ellison expressed. “On Monday, my team and I will stand in court to challenge this unlawful and unconstitutional federal presence in our communities, which is spreading fear and violence. This must cease immediately.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the city would formally file a temporary restraining order request on Monday to cease federal immigration operations in the city. The city previously requested a restraining order against ICE after an agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good just weeks earlier, but a judge did not make an immediate ruling on that motion.
“I have formally requested assistance from the National Guard to support the limited number of officers we have in the Minneapolis Police Department,” Frey said. “We have around 600 officers in total. Days off have been canceled. Our incredible Minneapolis police officers have been working tirelessly to do their day-to-day work, and simultaneously, they are put in the middle of these chaotic situations.”
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said on social media that Minneapolis police requested them to investigate the shooting. During a news conference, superintendent Drew Evans said their agents were blocked from accessing the scene by the Department of Homeland Security agents. They later returned with a signed judicial warrant and were still blocked.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said they will be conducting an internal investigation, but didn’t say who would be handling and criminal investigations during a press conference at FEMA headquarters.
She said they are investigating the shooting like “all other officer involved shootings.”
The federal government previously cut off local investigators from the Renee Good shooting investigation. In a statement sent by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension on Jan. 8, officials said the FBI informed the agency it would no longer be part of the joint investigation and would lose access to case materials, scene evidence and investigative interviews.
The victim of the shooting on Saturday was identified as a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident and an American citizen who had a permit to carry a firearm, Minneapolis police Chief Brian O’Hara said at an earlier press conference. The man was later identified as Alex Pretti.
Local law enforcement was called to the scene just after 9 a.m. Central. They found the man with multiple gunshot wounds. He was brought to a hospital and later pronounced dead.
Unverified video circulating online appears to show the moments leading up to the shooting.
In the video, several agents take a man to the ground and repeatedly strike him. A few seconds later, several gunshots can be heard and the man appears to fall limp.
“We do not know what happened prior to the video that is online right now,” O’Hara said.
The Department of Homeland Security released a statement on X reporting that law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted raid toward an undocumented immigrant. They claimed an individual resisted arrest, leading to “defensive” shots being fired. They said the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
