The killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse who was shot during an encounter with federal agents in Minneapolis last month, has been classified as a homicide by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner.
Pretti died on January 24 after a confrontation with Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents on a Minneapolis street. In an email sent to Newsweek on Monday, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson said, “This matter remains under two separate, active investigations. The FBI is leading the with HSI supporting. CBP is also conducting a separate internal investigation.”
The context
Video of the incident spread widely on social media in the hours after Pretti was shot. The footage and images fueled public scrutiny by appearing to conflict with early descriptions from federal authorities.
Pretti’s death came only weeks after Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.
What investigators say so far
According to the medical examiner’s report, Pretti’s cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds, and the manner of death was listed as homicide. The report recorded his place of death as the emergency room at the hospital where he was taken. Under “how injury occurred,” it states that he was “shot by law enforcement officer(s).”
Separately, Blanche said the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has opened a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death and will review witness accounts and documentary evidence. He did not provide a timeline and did not commit to releasing body-camera footage.
The two federal immigration agents involved in the shooting have been identified as 43-year-old Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and 35-year-old Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer Raymundo Gutierrez, according to government records viewed by ProPublica.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has said the FBI is leading the federal criminal investigation with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) supporting, and that CBP is conducting a separate internal review.
What the videos show
One of several videos from the scene appears to show Pretti holding a cellphone in his right hand before a struggle begins. In the same footage, one agent is later seen stepping away with a handgun that appears to have been taken from Pretti’s waistband, followed by gunfire.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said he has seen no evidence that Pretti brandished a weapon, describing him as appearing to lawfully record while legally carrying.
Minnesota officials — including Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison — have said state investigators were initially blocked from accessing the scene. They later obtained a temporary restraining order to preserve evidence, after which the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension returned to continue collecting evidence.
Who was Alex Pretti?
Pretti worked as an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and held an active Minnesota nursing license.
Family members and colleagues described him as committed to caring for veterans. His parents and Chief O’Hara have said he legally owned a handgun and had a permit to carry.
What people are saying
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a Friday interview with Fox News, cited by the Associated Press: “We will continue to follow the investigation that the FBI is leading and giving them all the information that they need to bring that to a conclusion.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a Jan. 25 interview: “All the pieces of the investigation are being led by DHS in HSI.”
What happens next
The DOJ civil rights review and the FBI-led criminal investigation are ongoing, with no public timeline for completion and no confirmed release date for body-camera video as of February 2. Minnesota officials say their parallel investigation will continue under the court-ordered evidence preservation process.
