Border Patrol Agent Shoots ICU Nurse During Minneapolis Protest U.S. Border Patrol agent fired on Alex Pretti, a 37‑year‑old intensive‑care nurse at the Minneapolis VA, on Jan 24 2026 at the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue during a protest‑related encounter [1][2]. DHS described the shooting as “defensive” after Pretti allegedly resisted disarmament, while the incident marks the third federal‑agent shooting in Minneapolis within a month [2]. State and local investigators arrived within an hour but were barred from the scene by federal personnel, limiting evidence collection [1].

Video Evidence Shows Pretti Unarmed and Officer Seizing Gun Bystander recordings released after the shooting depict Pretti holding a phone, with no visible weapon, as an agent pushes him backward and then extracts a firearm before firing [1][2]. CNN’s analysis confirms the officer seized the gun prior to the shots, contradicting DHS’s claim of “violent resistance” [2]. The footage has intensified calls for an independent investigation and challenges the department’s narrative [1].

Judge Issues Temporary Restraining Order to Preserve Evidence U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud issued a temporary restraining order on Jan 25 2026, enjoining all federal agencies from destroying, altering, or removing any evidence related to the Jan 24 shooting [1]. The order covers the crime scene and any items already taken by DHS, ICE, or CBP, and the state has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration alleging improper evidence removal [2]. Court records detail the injunction’s language and its applicability to all federal personnel involved [1].

Protests Escalate; Police Deploy Tear Gas and Flash‑Bangs Demonstrations erupted nationwide following Pretti’s death, with a large march in Minneapolis on Jan 25 2026 that was met by police using tear gas and flash‑bang devices to disperse crowds [2]. The National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America publicly rejected attempts to portray Pretti as a gun‑owner provocateur, labeling such statements “dangerous and wrong” and demanding a full investigation [2]. Witness affidavits claim Pretti was assisting a pepper‑sprayed woman and never reached for a weapon [2].

Bipartisan Political Pressure Demands Accountability and ICE Removal Republican officials, including House Homeland Security Committee Chair Andrew Garbarino and Senators Bill Cassidy, Lisa Murkowski, and Pete Ricketts, called for testimony from ICE, CBP, and USCIS officials, while Democrats such as former President Bill Clinton, Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Governor Tim Walz urged the removal of ICE from Minnesota [1]. A GoFundMe campaign for Pretti’s family surpassed $600,000, far exceeding its original goal, to support the family pending verification of next‑of‑kin [1]. The combined bipartisan outcry reflects heightened scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics [1].