The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office ruled that Alex Pretti's death constitutes homicide, contradicting initial statements from federal officials and raising new questions about how the Trump administration characterized the January 24 shooting in Minneapolis.
The 37-year-old nurse died from multiple gunshot wounds inflicted by federal immigration agents during a protest, according to the medical examiner's report released Sunday. While a homicide ruling does not automatically establish criminal culpability—it simply indicates death resulted from another person's actions—the determination undercuts the administration's early framing of the incident.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Department of Homeland Security officials suggested Pretti posed a threat to federal agents. Those characterizations have evolved significantly as evidence emerged, according to reporting by local media and civil rights advocates monitoring the case.
The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting, which occurred during protests against federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. Pretti, who worked at the local Veterans Affairs hospital, was among demonstrators when Border Patrol agents opened fire.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Monday that all DHS personnel in Minneapolis—including Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers—will receive body cameras. The move came under pressure from both local officials and civil rights organizations, though critics noted the policy change came only after a fatal shooting rather than as a proactive accountability measure.
"This is exactly the kind of transparency that should have been in place before federal agents deployed to American cities," said one local official who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the administration's response.
The shifting narrative from federal officials highlights tensions between political pressure to defend law enforcement and the need for factual accountability in officer-involved shootings. Similar patterns have emerged in previous administrations when early statements from officials later proved inconsistent with evidence.
A federal judge last week dissolved a temporary restraining order that had prevented DHS from destroying evidence related to the shooting, according to Reuters. The ruling came after DHS agreed to preserve all relevant materials as part of the ongoing Justice Department investigation.
A vigil was held at the Veterans Affairs hospital where Pretti worked, with colleagues describing him as a dedicated healthcare worker who cared deeply about his patients. The protest where he was killed had focused on federal immigration raids that critics say have disrupted communities across Minnesota.
As Americans like to say, "all politics is local"—and in Minneapolis, the federal response to immigration protests has become a flashpoint between the administration's enforcement priorities and local resistance to what officials there view as heavy-handed tactics.
The Justice Department has not provided a timeline for its civil rights investigation, and it remains unclear what charges, if any, might result from the inquiry.
