Experts have suggested that there's an explanation behind Border Patrol agents choosing to shoot at Alex Pretti, despite him being pinned to the floor.
On Saturday (23 January), it was confirmed that the 37-year-old became the latest victim of operations led by federal agents in Minneapolis.
Pretti, who worked as an ICU nurse, was accused of carrying a semi-automatic handgun with two magazines of ammunition by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), who further claimed that he 'violently resisted' when officers allegedly attempted to disarm him.
However, videos of the incident and witness testimonies appear to challenge these claims, as he is seen holding a phone rather than a weapon.
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Regardless, President Donald Trump called Pretti a 'gunman' on social media, while Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that he'd intended to 'massacre law enforcement'.
Pretti has become the second civilian casualty in a matter of weeks, following the fatal shooting of Renee Good, as he was shot at least 10 times in five seconds while on the ground.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said that the 'horrific shooting' was 'sickening', calling for the president to 'end this operation' and get these 'violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota'.
While it is still unknown where the first shot came from, a forensic expert has analysed what was going on before Pretti's death, labelling them as 'strange'.
Now, experts have explained whether the agents' actions were justified in a piece for the New York Times.
Seth Stoughton, a former police officer, state investigator, and specialist in use-of-force cases, has questioned why the agent would use force to initiate contact with someone who wasn't seemingly interfering with his work, calling it a 'tactical misstep'.
Warning: video contains graphic content
Agents can be heard yelling that Pretti has a gun, which he had a permit to carry. However, Stoughton said it's important for officers to communicate about what the subject is doing with it, clarifying: “It’s just utterly ridiculous to suggest that just because someone has a weapon on them, that that justifies the use of deadly force.”
“A big question is going to be about whether the officers, and particularly the shooting agents, should have been aware that Mr. Pretti had been disarmed,” he said, adding: “A lot is going to turn on the perceptions of the officers who fired.”
Marc Brown, an ex-cop and former instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, also said of the video: “If the weapon was taken, why were the shots fired?"
The experts explained that the volley of shots fired by agents at Pretti could be a result of a phenomenon known as 'contagious fire'.
According to a 2024 study published in the Journal of Criminal Justice, officers were more likely to fire their weapons after other officers had done the same.
They fired approximately 72 per cent more rounds after other officers fired their weapons, a reflex which experts said was not a justification for the use of deadly force.
They further highlighted that we must examine prior incidents to determine whether the use of deadly force was justified in context.
President Trump hinted on Monday that immigration officers may be leaving Minnesota, stating: "At some point we will leave. We’ve done, they’ve done a phenomenal job."
It has also been revealed that Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino may be leaving Minneapolis and could even 'retire soon', according to The Atlantic.
LADbible Group has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
ICE in Minnesota: a timeline of events
Dec 2025: Trump sends thousands of ICE agents to Minneapolis
In late December 2025, with reports emerging around January 6 (the five-year anniversary of the Capitol Riots), President Donald Trump sent around 2,000 ICE agents into Minneapolis to crack down on immigration.
This was reportedly due to, more specifically, allegations of fraud aimed at Somalian residents.
Jan 7: ICE agent Jonathan Ross kills Renee Good
On January 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed mother-of-three Renee Good at the scene of an ICE raid in southern Minnesota. Good’s car was stopped sideways, in what is believed to have been an attempt to block ICE agents from passing.
As Good went to reverse her vehicle away from the agents, Ross shot her at least two times, once in the face. Good died at the scene.
Jan 7: Protests break out in Minneapolis
Following the killing of Renee Good, protests broke out in Minneapolis that same night. Protests are still ongoing at the time of writing (January 19), and tensions remain high in the twin cities.
Jan 12: Minnesota sues the Trump administration
On January 12, the state of Minnesota filed a motion in federal court to sue the Trump administration in an attempt to block the surge of ICE agents. Minnesota's Attorney General Keith Ellison said immigration operations have caused ‘chaos and violence’ for millions of people and disrupted their lives.
Jan 13: ICE drags disabled woman from car
On January 13, on a street in Minnesota City, ICE agents were caught on camera dragging an unknown disabled woman from her car. This happened just two blocks from where Good was shot.
The woman shouted at the time: “I’ve been beat up by police before. I’m disabled, I’m trying to go to the doctor up there, that’s why I couldn’t move. I am an autistic disabled person, I’m trying to go to the doctor.”
The Independent reports that ‘tear gas, flash bang grenades and pepper balls were also fired towards the protesters during the stand-off’.
Jan 14: Venezuelan man shot by ICE
A Venezuelan man was shot in the leg by ICE officers on January 14 during an alleged traffic stop. It’s been reported that during the traffic stop, the officer was attacked by another individual in the car with a ‘snow shovel and broom handle’, which is allegedly why they opened fire on two individuals. The man who was shot has not yet been identified.
Jan 15: Trump threatens insurrection
Trump has not reacted well to the protests and took to Truth Social to threaten Minnesota with insurrection. On January 15, he said: “If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT,.”
Jan 18: 1,500 US troops on standby for deployment
On January 18, officials confirmed that 1,500 soldiers are on standby for deployment to Minneapolis. The troops are currently in Alaska, and no official word has been given to send them in as of yet.
Minnesota officials have asked protesters to stay ‘peaceful’ and ‘orderly’. This comes after Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis told ICE to ‘get the f*ck out’.
Jan 24: ICU nurse Alex Pretti shot by US Border Patrol
ICU nurse for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Alex Pretti, was shot and killed by Border Patrol Agents in Minneapolis in the midst of citywide protests against Trump's immigration crackdown. He was a 37-year-old US citizen.
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, Politics
Joshua Nair