USA Minneapolis report puts US government on edge
The first comprehensive official report by security authorities on the fatal shooting of US citizen Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis has put Donald Trump's administration in a tight spot. According to the US media, the preliminary investigation report sent by the CBP to members of the US parliament by email makes no mention of Pretti reaching for his weapon. This was a key element of the government's early interpretation of the incident as an act of self-defense.
28.01.2026, 06:15
28.01.2026, 07:00
SDA
Shortly after the incident on Saturday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had already spoken of legitimate self-defense by the emergency services because Pretti had waved a gun around and thus put the officers in a threatening situation. However, videos of the scene are not consistent with this account, which is also no longer mentioned in the investigation report - which is based, among other things, on the evaluation of the officers' body cameras. According to media such as the "New York Times", it also states that first a Border Patrol officer and then a CBP officer shot Pretti.
Hardliner in the White House backs away from choice of words
After government representatives such as Noem initially made serious accusations against Pretti and accused him of intent to kill because of a weapon he was carrying, they are now trying to adopt a more nuanced tone in the face of public backlash. Particularly noteworthy is a new statement by Trump's deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who originally described Pretti as a "domestic terrorist" and effectively blamed him for his own death.
CNN has now reported that the right-wing hardliner Miller has now sent the TV station a statement with a completely different tone. According to this, an investigation is currently underway into why the officers may not have followed the prescribed protocols for their deployment before the shooting.
The fatal shooting of the 37-year-old had caused great outrage across the country and put Trump's government in need of an explanation, partly because the video recordings contradicted the official statements. Weeks earlier, an ICE immigration officer had also shot and killed US citizen Renée Good in her car in Minneapolis. Prior to this, the US government had sent thousands of federal officers to the city and the surrounding state of Minnesota.
The officers, some of whom were masked, were there to help with the notorious raids used to enforce Trump's rigorous deportation policy. The Democratic city leadership of Minneapolis and the Democratically governed state are resisting the massive presence.
After the shooting, the Department of Homeland Security published photos of a gun that Pretti is said to have been carrying - and described the case as one in which he approached the officers with a gun and posed an acute threat. He had resisted in an attempt to disarm him. An officer fired defensive shots out of fear for his life, the ministry claimed - although Pretti was already disarmed at this point, judging by the video recordings.
Pretti appears to have been determined to cause maximum damage and kill officers, Noem said shortly after the incident. Nothing of the sort can be seen on the videos from the crime scene. Nevertheless, Trump backed his minister.
Criticism of inadequate investigation of the case
According to CBS News, the investigation report states that the officers initially encountered two women on the street with whistles and asked them to move out of the way. When they were pushed away, Pretti interfered, whereupon he was taken into custody. A scuffle ensued, during which an officer shouted several times that Pretti had a gun. The shots were then fired from the weapons of the two officers.
According to the TV station, the report did not specify whether all the bullets hit Pretti. After the shots were fired, an officer reportedly let it be known that he was in possession of Pretti's gun.
In addition to the fatal shooting of the 37-year-old, the investigation of the case has also been criticized. The state complained that federal authorities had denied access to the investigators and that the incident should actually have been investigated by local authorities.
As the US government under President Trump repeatedly spreads false allegations or at least selectively presents the truth, critics no longer believe its accounts.
Trump: Pretti should not have been carrying a weapon
Trump has now said that, in his view, Pretti should not have been carrying a gun. "He had a gun. I don't like that." He also had two fully loaded magazines with him. At the same time, Trump, whose Republicans traditionally support the right to free gun ownership, spoke of an "unfortunate incident". According to the police, Pretti was authorized to carry a firearm.
Regarding the deployment of the federal officers, Trump also said that nobody knew when they had seen Pretti's gun. This is a remarkable statement, also in view of the early determination by government representatives of the course of the crime.
The question of whether or not Pretti should have been allowed to carry a gun at a protest like the one on the day of the incident is widely debated.
