Videos appear to show fatal Minnesota shooting that has widened divide between state, federal officials

Two videos circulating online appear to show the moment Pretti was shot by immigration officers.

The videos, taken from different perspectives, both show several ICE agents appearing to wrestle a man to the ground. As the man is on the ground, one shot is heard, quickly followed by several more as one officer appears to fire directly at the man multiple times.

CBC has independently verified the videos and believe they show the incident in Minneapolis today.

In her own remarks, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem repeated the administration's belief that the man who was shot and killed was trying to kill federal officers.

"This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement," she said at a news conference. The same phrase was used in Homeland Security's earlier post on X and by Bovino, the border patrol commander.

Federal agents in Minneapolis shot and killed another person in the city earlier today, setting off another round of tense protests in the city over the Trump administration's immigration operation that has now left two dead.

The man, described by the city's police chief as an American citizen with no criminal record beyond the odd traffic ticket, was shot dead in the Whittier neighbourhood just after 9 a.m. local time. Family later identified the man as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, an intensive care unit nurse born in Illinois.

As they did after the death of Renee Nicole Good on Jan. 7, local and federal officials disagreed on who should be blamed for the man's death.

The Department of Homeland Security said its agents killed the man because he was carrying a 9-mm handgun, and posted a photo online of what it said was the firearm in question. 

Local officials said witness video contradicts the federal narrative, while the police chief said the victim had a firearms permit in the open-carry state.

The state governor said the presence of federal agents in the Twin Cities region amounted to an "occupation" that would only lead to more deaths should the Trump administration ignore repeated calls to withdraw.

On the streets of Minneapolis, dozens of people flooded the scene of the shooting in protest as politicians urged crowds to keep the peace.

In a post to X, Minnesota-born U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote "ICE > MN," implying that ICE is greater than the state. 

He also thanked the "patriots" working for ICE and said they were saving the country.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, speaking at another news conference this afternoon, said the city has cancelled police officers' days off as they respond to the situation in the city. He said local law enforcement is getting support from neighbouring police agencies, who have sent personnel to the area.

Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the city has established a "vehicle exclusion zone" to address "a volatile and emotional situation" at the protest as officers try to de-escalate. He said protesters earlier in the day engaged in "unlawful acts," like putting up their own barricades and throwing objects at law enforcement. He said state and local police used "less lethal" methods as crowd control and noted the scene has since become peaceful.

"Keep it that way," he said.

The Minnesota National Guard has been activated by Gov. Tim Walz and is assisting local police amid growing protests. Guard troops are attending the shooting site and also a federal building where officials have squared off with protesters daily.

Those personnel will be wearing yellow, high-viz vests to set them apart from federal agents.

The Minnesota Organization of Registered Nurses has also issued a statement on Pretti's death.

"Today, our nursing community is grieving. We have lost a fellow registered nurse to an act of violence connected to immigration enforcement. Regardless of where each of us stands on the issues surrounding this moment, the loss of a nurse, a caregiver, a colleague, a human being cuts us deeply," the statement reads.

"This message is not about politics. It is about mourning a life taken too soon and honoring the calling we all share.

Family members have identified the victim as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, an "avid outdoorsman who loved getting in adventures with Joule, his beloved Catahoula Leopard dog who also recently died."

His family told The Associated Press he was a nurse in the intensive care unit who had been protesting Good's death.

“He cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset,” Michael Pretti, Alex’s father, told The Associated Press. “He felt that doing the protesting was a way to express that, you know, his care for others.”

The NBA said a game scheduled tonight between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors has been postponed until tomorrow. 

A statement said the game was rescheduled to "prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community." It did not reference today's shooting.

The City of Minneapolis is again asking people to stay away from the scene of the shooting, which has been the site of intense protests and clashes with federal officers through the day. State troopers are on scene. 

"We understand the community is angry and has every right to be," the city said in a post on X. 

"Your right to protest is protected; however, vandalism and violence is not. Your safety is paramount."