The death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis nurse and protester, has officially been ruled a homicide, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office. The ruling, released Monday, confirms that Pretti died from multiple gunshot wounds inflicted by law enforcement officers during an encounter with federal immigration agents on January 24.
Pretti’s death quickly drew national attention amid a wave of protests in Minneapolis against federal immigration enforcement actions. The incident followed intense clashes in the city related to another fatal shooting earlier in January.
In response to the heightened scrutiny and public outcry, the Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation, signaling that federal authorities are examining whether Pretti’s rights were violated during the encounter with officers.
Under Minnesota law, a homicide ruling means the death was caused by another person; it does not, by itself, determine criminal culpability. While the medical examiner’s report clearly identifies law enforcement as the source of the fatal shooting, legal questions about whether the actions amounted to a crime are still unresolved.
As protests and debates over accountability continue in the Twin Cities, state and federal investigators are working to clarify the full circumstances surrounding the shooting.
In the wake of Pretti’s death and the broader controversy over federal law enforcement tactics, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Monday that all Homeland Security officers in Minneapolis, including agents from Border Patrol and ICE will now be issued body-worn cameras. The equipment is intended to improve transparency during federal operations, a policy shift that comes amid escalating calls for reform and greater oversight of immigration enforcement activities.
