An anti-ICE activist was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis Saturday morning.
As reported on Monday’s AM Update, 37-year-old Alex Pretti was seen holding a cell phone while standing in the street and appearing to direct traffic as border patrol agents were trying to arrest an illegal alien outside of a donut shop. At the same time, two female protesters were also engaging with a U.S. border patrol agent nearby.
Video shows that agent corralling the two protesters to the other side of the street, shoving one of them to the ground in the process, when Pretti got involved. He stepped in between the agent and the female protester as a group of additional agents arrived at the scene. One of them deployed pepper spray against Pretti and the protester on the ground, before the agents swarmed the man to arrest him.
Pretti appeared to resist arrest and, amid the struggle, someone shouted “gun.” Seconds later, several shots rang out. Agents recovered a 9mm handgun and additional loaded magazines amid the skirmish. The Department of Homeland Security later posted pictures of both, saying they belonged to Pretti, an intensive-care nurse at the local Veterans Affairs hospital. He was a concealed carry permit holder, but that was likely not known by law enforcement agents at the time of the shooting.
The Reaction
It didn’t take long for video capturing multiple angles of the incident to circulate widely on social media. Interpretations of what happened during those crucial seconds vary wildly and tensions in Minneapolis escalated rapidly.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz both delivered heated remarks against federal law enforcement and the Trump administration at separate press conferences, while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem initially described the incident this way:
“The suspect also had two magazines with ammunition in them that held dozens of rounds. He also had no ID. This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at this scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.”
Fox News’ Bill Melugin reported in an X post Sunday night that more than half a dozen federal sources told him they are extremely frustrated by DHS messaging on the issue, including the claim that Pretti wanted to carry out “maximum damage.” The sources made no excuses for Pretti’s recklessness, but they described what they considered the inaccurate spin by DHS as “catastrophic” and “eroding trust and credibility.”
During an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Secretary Noem did not repeat her most incendiary claims about Pretti, instead focusing on the legality of his interaction with federal agents:
“We do know that he came to that scene and impeded a law enforcement operation, which is against federal law. It’s a felony. When he did that interacting with those agents, when they tried to get him to disengage, he became aggressive and resisted them throughout that process. These officers used their training, followed their protocols and were in fear of their lives and the people around them. That’s how this tragedy unfolded and we hope we never see it again.”
President Donald Trump weighed in with a lengthy Truth Social post Sunday, calling on Mayor Frey and Gov. Walz to begin cooperating with the feds on multiple fronts, including turning over illegal immigrants in state prisons and directing state and local police to assist with federal law enforcement. The president also called on Congress to pass legislation ending sanctuary cities. He subsequently announced he would be sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to oversee efforts.
Gov. Walz, meanwhile, activated the Minnesota National Guard on Saturday. The scope of that mission is unclear, though video circulating on social media showed troops wearing reflective vests to avoid being confused with ICE enforcement and passing out donuts and hot chocolate to anti-ICE protesters.
The Analysis
On Monday’s show, Megyn thoroughly broke down the various videos of the shooting and was joined by MK True Crime contributor Dave Aronberg and self-defense legal expert Andrew Branca to explore all of the legal angles at play. Keep scrolling for complete coverage.
A Closer Look at the Videos
Megyn offers a detailed analysis of the video footage available before, during, and after the shooting and reacts to the outrageous comments from local leaders in the aftermath.
The Misleading Narratives
Megyn slams the media for pushing misleading narratives in the aftermath of the fatal shooting and explains why she believes Pretti shouldn’t have been interfering with the law enforcement efforts.
You can check out Megyn’s full coverage by tuning in to episode 1,238 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.