The man who was shot and killed during an encounter with federal officers in Minneapolis has been identified.
Alex Pretti was the person killed in the shooting involving officers with the Department of Homeland Security on Saturday, Jan. 24, his family confirmed, according to the Associated Press. He was 37.
The Minnesota Star Tribune also identified the man as Pretti, an ICU nurse, citing two people familiar with the incident who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
According to Pretti’s nursing license, he has been a registered nurse since January 2021. He previously worked at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
At a press conference after the shooting, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said that, to his knowledge, Pretti’s only prior interaction with law enforcement involved parking tickets. O’Hara added that Pretti was a lawful gun owner and had a permit.
At around 9:00 a.m. local time on Jan. 24, DHS law enforcement officers were conducting what the department described as a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault, DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
McLaughlin said Pretti approached U.S. Border Patrol officers while armed with a handgun and resisted as officers attempted to disarm him, adding that an agent then fired “defensive shots.”
McLaughlin said medics on scene immediately provided medical aid, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to McLaughlin, the suspect had two magazines and no identification.
At least 200 protesters arrived near the scene of the shooting soon afterward, the Associated Press reported, leading to confrontations between federal law enforcement and locals.
During the Jan. 24 press conference, O’Hara said preliminary information suggested that more than one law enforcement officer was involved in discharging a weapon.
He also referenced public video that he said shows several law enforcement officers in a scuffle with someone.
When asked about the DHS account of what happened, O’Hara replied, “The video speaks for itself.”
