Eyewitnesses present during the incident where ICE protestor Alex Pretti was shot by agents have shared their perspectives on whether the 37-year-old was holding a gun in the moments before his death.
On Saturday, January 24, Pretti, an intensive care nurse at Minneapolis VA Health Care System, was shot by ICE officers while attempting to intervene during a protest.
Video evidence suggests that Pretti was assisting a woman who had been pushed to the ground by ICE agents when he was aggressively pepper-sprayed.
He was then subdued by multiple agents and shortly thereafter several gunshots were fired, resulting in his death.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has claimed that the shooting was in self-defense, alleging that Pretti was armed.
According to Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara, Pretti was “a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.”
It is possible Pretti was carrying his firearm during the incident, but witnesses have stated he was not pointing it at the officers.
Two individuals provided sworn testimony, reported by The Guardian, indicating they did not see Pretti with a weapon. Their identities were removed from the documents made public.
One witness described the scene, saying: “The agents pulled the man on the ground. I didn’t see him touch any of them – he wasn’t even turned toward them. It didn’t look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up.”
“I didn’t see him with a gun. They threw him to the ground. Four or five agents had him on the ground and they just started shooting him. They shot him so many times… I don’t know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him.”
This witness continued, disputing the DHS’s account: “The man did not approach the agents with a gun.”
Another witness, a physician, echoed these views and noted they “did not see [Pretti] attack the agents or brandish a weapon of any kind.”
The physician attempted to provide medical care to Pretti following the shooting, but initially was prevented from doing so.
When finally allowed to approach, the physician observed that officers were not assessing Pretti’s vital signs but rather appeared to be counting gunshot wounds.
Upon checking Pretti for a pulse, the physician discovered he had none.
If you or someone you know has been affected by gun violence, please find more information and support via Survivors Empowered on their website.