Videos of deadly Minneapolis shooting contradict government statements

Videos rapidly emerged showing the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis protester by a Border Patrol cause that has been wide denounced arsenic a lawsuit of excessive unit carried retired by untrained national officers. The medication says it was a lawsuit of an equipped antheral provoking violence.

The Associated Press reviewed aggregate bystander videos that amusement a Border Patrol cause shooting and sidesplitting 37-year-old Alex Pretti aft a astir 30-second scuffle astir 9 a.m. connected Saturday (January 24, 2026). The videos look to contradict statements by the Trump administration, which said the shots were fired “defensively” against Pretti arsenic helium “approached” them with a gun.

In the videos, Pretti is seen with lone a telephone successful his hand. None of the footage appears to amusement him with a weapon. During the scuffle, agents discovered that helium was carrying a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, and they opened occurrence with respective shots. Pretti was licensed to transportation a concealed weapon.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who said helium watched 1 of the videos, said helium saw “more than six masked agents pummeling 1 of our constituents, shooting him to death.” Mr. Frey has said Minneapolis and St Paul are being “invaded” by the administration's largest migration crackdown, dubbed Operation Metro Surge.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti attacked officers, and Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said Pretti wanted to bash “maximum harm and massacre instrumentality enforcement.” In posts connected X, President Donald Trump's lawman main of staff, Stephen Miller, called Pretti “a would-be assassin.” It was the 2nd fatal shooting successful Minneapolis by national migration authorities this month. The first, connected January 7, progressive Renee Good. It besides was captured connected videos and produced a akin schism among governmental leaders.

The shooting occurred erstwhile officers were pursuing a antheral successful the state illegally wanted for home assault, Mr. Bovino said. Protesters routinely effort to disrupt specified operations, and they sounded high-pitched whistles, honked horns and yelled astatine officers.

Among them was Pretti. At 1 point, successful a video obtained by AP, Pretti is lasting successful the thoroughfare and holding up his phone. He is face-to-face with an serviceman successful a tactical vest, who places his manus connected Pretti and pushes him toward the sidewalk.

Pretti is talking to the officer, though it is not wide what helium is saying.

The video shows protesters wandering successful and retired of the thoroughfare arsenic officers persist successful trying to support them astatine bay. One protester is enactment successful handcuffs. Some officers are carrying capsicum spray canisters.

Pretti comes successful again erstwhile the video shows an serviceman wearing tactical cogwheel shoving a protester. The protester, who is wearing a skirt implicit achromatic tights and holding a h2o bottle, reaches retired for Pretti.

The aforesaid serviceman shoves Pretti successful his chest, starring Pretti and the different protester to stumble backward.

A antithetic video past shows Pretti moving toward different protester, who falls implicit aft being shoved by the aforesaid officer. Pretti moves betwixt the protester and the officer, reaching his arms retired toward the officer.

The serviceman deploys capsicum spray, and Pretti raises his manus and turns his face. The serviceman grabs Pretti's manus to bring it down his back, deploys the capsicum spray canister again and past pushes Pretti away.

Seconds later, astatine slightest a half-dozen national officers situation Pretti, who is wrestled to the crushed and deed respective times. Several agents effort to bring Pretti's arms down his back, and helium struggles.

Videos amusement an officer, who is hovering implicit the scuffle with his close manus connected Pretti's back, backs distant from the radical with what appears to beryllium a weapon successful his close manus conscionable earlier the archetypal shot.

Someone shouts “gun, gun.” It is not wide if that's a notation to the limb authorities accidental Pretti had.

And past the archetypal changeable is heard.

Videos bash not intelligibly amusement who fired the archetypal shot. In 1 video, seconds earlier the archetypal shot, 1 serviceman reaches for his loop and appears to gully his gun. That aforesaid serviceman is seen with a weapon to Pretti's backmost arsenic 3 much shots ringing out. Pretti slumps to the ground. Videos amusement the officers backing away, immoderate with guns drawn. More shots are fired.

The Department of Homeland Security said Pretti was changeable aft helium “approached” Border Patrol officers with a gun. Officials did not accidental if Pretti brandished the limb oregon kept it hidden.

An bureau connection said officers fired “defensive shots” aft Pretti “violently resisted” officers tried to disarm him.

Walz expressed dismay astatine the characterisation.

“I've seen the videos, from respective angles, and it's sickening,” helium said.

Mr. Trump weighed successful connected societal media by lashing retired Walz and Frey. Trump shared images of the weapon that migration officials said was recovered from Pretti and said “What is that each about? Where are the section Police? Why weren't they allowed to support ICE Officers?”