Gov. JB Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson respond to deadly Minneapolis shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents
Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson responded to the deadly Minneapolis shooting by federal agents Saturday morning, which killed 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti. It is the second fatal shooting in Minneapolis by ICE or Border Patrol agents in less than a month.
The two took to social media to express their thoughts towards federal agents and President Donald Trump following the incident.
Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said during a conference on Saturday afternoon that agents were trying apprehend a suspect in a targeted operation when they were approached by the man armed with a 9-mm handgun.
Bovino said federal officers tried to take the gun from the man, now identified as Pretti, who he said "violently resisted." That's when one of the agents fired what Bovino called "defensive shots."
Video of the incident was obtained by CBS News, which showed an altercation between several officers and a person on the ground before shots were heard. The video appears to show the an across the street from whatever federal enforcement action was taking place.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz spoke hours after the shooting.
"You ask us for peace, and we give it, and we get shot in the face on the streets coming out of a donut shop," Walz said.
The state and the FBI are investigating, as Walz is pushing for the state to lead the investigation. Minnesota officials said state investigators were blocked from the scene by federal agents.
Pritzker took to social media in response to Saturday's shooting in Minneapolis, saying, "Masked federal agents in Minnesota just shot and killed another person. We must put a stop to Trump's ICE. Now. Stop the funding, stop the occupations, stop the killings."
He called the agents "unprofessional" and "dangerous."
"Donald Trump's agents are untrained, unqualified, unprofessional, and dangerous. It's time for them to stop their assault on American cities," he said.
Johnson also took to social media, saying, "One day after hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to remind us of our shared humanity, ICE murdered another innocent person in Minneapolis. We pray for the victim and their loved ones. When they come for one of us, they come for all of us. ICE must be abolished."
The shooting comes after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good earlier this month, sparking outrage and protests from residents in Minnesota and other states.
A similar shooting happened in Chicago's Brighton Park back in October. That's when Miramar Martinez, a U.S. citizen, was shot by federal agents. She survived, and federal prosecutors dropped all charges against her.
Johnson said that Chicago stands with Minneapolis, saying, "We need ICE and CBP to get out of our cities right now."
