Minneapolis, United States. Tensions between the White House and Minnesota officials escalated on Saturday after federal immigration agents shot and killed a US citizen in Minneapolis, the second such fatality this month. The death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti has triggered civil unrest and led Governor Tim Walz to mobilise the National Guard.
Shooting and federal account
The US Department of Homeland Security said a Border Patrol agent fired in self-defence after Pretti allegedly resisted attempts to disarm him.
Bystander video verified by Reuters appears to show multiple agents struggling with Pretti on the ground and striking him before a volley of shots was fired.
State response and dispute over investigation
Local leaders rejected the federal account, with Walz calling the footage “sickening” and accusing the federal government of blocking state investigators from the scene.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Pretti was a lawful gun owner with no criminal record, and that his only prior legal issues involved traffic violations.
Context of immigration crackdown and prior fatality
The incident followed the 7 January shooting of another US citizen, Renee Good, which had already strained relations between local law enforcement and the 3,000 federal agents ordered into the city by President Donald Trump as part of an immigration crackdown.
The shooting took place 24 hours after 10,000 people protested against the federal operation, which has drawn criticism after reports of school children being detained and a US citizen being taken from his home while dressed only in shorts.
Political fallout and disruption across the city
Trump responded on social media, accusing the Mayor and Governor of “inciting insurrection” through their “pompous and arrogant rhetoric.”
The violence disrupted city life, with the National Basketball Association postponing a Minnesota Timberwolves game and the Minneapolis Institute of Art closing due to safety concerns.
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