Alex Pretti Shooting: DHS Report Contradicts Trump's Homeland Security Secy Kristi Noem's Claims

Amid the Trump administration’s claims that Alex Pretti attacked federal officers or brandished a gun and brought about his own death, a preliminary Department of Homeland Security report does not support those assertions. The report, obtained by Congress and reviewed by news outlets, does not say Pretti attacked officers or brandished a weapon, contradicting earlier public statements by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. 

Alex Pretti was shot dead by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis on 24 January. Two federal officers fired their weapons during the incident, according to an initial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) review obtained by NBC News.

What the DHS report says

The preliminary report was prepared by a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) internal

investigation led by the Office of Professional Responsibility. It was sent to congressional committees on Tuesday, including the House Homeland Security and Judiciary committees.

According to the report, during the encounter an officer shouted “He’s got a gun!” several times. About five seconds later, a Border Patrol agent fired a CBP-issued Glock 19, and a CBP officer fired a Glock 47. The report does not clarify whether bullets from both weapons struck Pretti.

No mention of an attack

The report does not state that Pretti attacked officers or brandished a gun. This contrasts with earlier claims made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following the shooting.

Videos recorded by eyewitnesses and verified by NBC News show Pretti did not appear to be holding a weapon during the struggle as agents surrounded him. One video shows a federal agent removing a gun from Pretti’s waist area shortly before he was shot. After the shooting, a Border Patrol agent said he had possession of Pretti’s gun, which was then secured in his vehicle.

Events leading to the shooting

The report says officers were carrying out enforcement actions in Minneapolis as part of Operation Metro Surge, near Nicollet Avenue and 25th Street. Several civilians were present, shouting and blowing whistles. Officers repeatedly asked them to stay on the pavements and out of the road.

An officer was confronted by two women blowing whistles who did not follow orders to move. After pushing them away, one woman ran to a man identified as Pretti. Officers tried to move both the woman and Pretti out of the road and used pepper spray on them. CBP personnel then attempted to take Pretti into custody. The report says he resisted, leading to a struggle, during which an agent shouted that Pretti had a gun.

Medical response and death

At 9:02 am, CBP staff cut Pretti’s clothes and gave first aid, including chest seals on his wounds. Fire department medics arrived two minutes later. Pretti was pronounced dead at Hennepin County Medical Center at about 9:32 am.

Operation Metro Surge has deployed about 3,000 federal officers and agents to Minnesota, compared with around 600 officers in the Minneapolis Police Department. The operation has faced strong local opposition and protests, especially after another woman, Renee Good, was shot dead by an immigration officer on 7 January.

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to avoid destroying or altering evidence after state investigators were denied access to the scene.

Government response

Homeland Security adviser Stephen Miller said the initial DHS statement was based on reports from staff on the ground during a chaotic situation. He said the White House is reviewing why CBP teams may not have followed guidance on separating arrest teams from protesters.

A DHS spokesperson said an investigation is under way and that the facts will guide its outcome. President Donald Trump said he had not heard claims that Pretti was a domestic terrorist but added that he should not have been carrying a gun.

Ongoing investigations

Both DHS and CBP are investigating the shooting. An autopsy report from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office has yet to be released. CBP said the report provides only an initial outline of events and does not offer final conclusions.