Update on Alex Pretti's Passing: Medical Report Unveils Harrowing Details on His Cause of Death

New records are sharpening the picture of how Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti died, after days of official silence. A medical report and government documents now raise fresh questions and intensify calls for accountability.

What really happened in the final moments of the late ICU nurse Alex Pretti's life remained unclear, even as protests erupted and authorities released few details.

Government records later provided additional information about the shooting, including agent identities and medical examiner findings.

Conflicting accounts and independent analysis would later raise further questions about how the encounter unfolded.

Who Fired and How He Died

According to government records reviewed by ProPublica on February 1, 2026, the two federal immigration agents involved in the shooting of Pretti were identified as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer Raymundo Gutierrez, 35, and Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa, 43.

Both men were assigned to Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement effort launched in December that sent armed and masked agents across the city.

The CBP, which employs both agents, has declined to release their names publicly and has shared few details about the incident. The shooting came just days after another Minneapolis protester, Renee Nicole Good, was fatally shot by an ICE agent.

Additional details emerged days later. As reported by People, the medical examiner ruled that Pretti's cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds, while his manner of death was classified as homicide.

The report also stated Pretti was "shot by law enforcement officer(s)" and listed no other "significant conditions," findings that have prompted renewed calls for criminal investigations.

DHS Account vs. Video Evidence

Federal officials and independent video analysis offer sharply different accounts of what led to Pretti's death.

In a statement posted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on X, officials said agents were conducting a targeted operation when an individual approached Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun.

DHS claimed officers tried to disarm him, but said he violently resisted, prompting an agent to fire what the department described as defensive shots.

The department also said Pretti had two magazines and no identification, and characterized the encounter as a situation where the individual appeared intent to cause "maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."

They added that medics provided aid at the scene and that the situation was still evolving.

However, a video analysis published by The New York Times directly challenges that version of events. Footage verified by the news publication shows Pretti holding a phone, not a gun, as agents approached and began shoving protesters and using pepper spray.

The analysis found that Pretti's hands were visible as he was taken to the ground and restrained. Agents appeared to shout that he had a gun only after he was pinned, at which point a firearm emerged from the struggle.

According to the Times, agents appeared to have Pretti under control when at least 10 shots were fired within about five seconds, leaving him motionless on the pavement.

Those conflicting narratives emerged only after the first reports of the shooting, before the victim's identity was publicly known.

On Saturday, January 24, a man was shot and killed by a federal immigration officer during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Officials said he was armed at the time.

The incident occurred amid a wider federal crackdown and just weeks after another fatal encounter had drawn protests in the city. With the man’s identity later confirmed by family, attention shifted to who he was and why he was there.

What Happened

A man was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis during a targeted enforcement operation on Nicollet Avenue, according to the Associated Press (AP).

Hospital records confirmed that he died from at least one gunshot wound. His age was first reported as 51, but updated records later identified him as 37.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz confirmed the shooting occurred during a broader federal immigration crackdown.

According to the DHS, the man was armed with a firearm and two magazines. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin called it an "evolving" situation, adding that more details are still under review.

A bystander video obtained by AP offered more context.

In the footage, people blew whistles and shouted at agents. One officer pushed a person wearing a brown jacket, a green skirt, and black tights, who carried a water bottle. That individual reached toward a nearby man, and the two briefly embraced.

The man, dressed in a dark brown jacket and black hat, appeared to raise a phone toward the officer. The officer then shoved him in the chest, and both individuals fell backward.

The video briefly cut away, then returned to show them separating. Moments later, three officers surrounded the man, and the number quickly grew to at least seven.

One officer knelt on the man's back. Another, holding what appeared to be a canister, struck him in the chest. As they tried to restrain him, the man appeared to resist. His face became visible on camera before the officer struck him near the head several more times.

A gunshot followed, though the video did not clearly show its source. More shots rang out. Officers stepped back, and the man remained motionless on the pavement.

The man's identity was not immediately released, but those who knew him later stepped forward.

Who He Was

Alex Jeffrey Pretti was identified by family members and a colleague as the man who was fatally shot during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis.

He was a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and worked as an intensive care unit nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. He was born in Illinois and, according to court records reviewed by the AP, had no criminal record; only a few minor traffic violations.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Pretti studied nursing at the University of Minnesota, where he also began working as a junior scientist in 2012 at the university's medical school.

State records from the Minnesota Board of Nursing confirmed that he received his Registered Nurse (RN) license on January 19, 2021. The license was active at the time of his death and was set to expire in March 2026.

At the VA hospital, Pretti was known as a dedicated and compassionate caregiver. Dr. Dimitri Drekonja, chief of infectious diseases and a professor at the University of Minnesota, worked alongside him.

"He wanted to help people," Drekonja said. "He was a super nice, super helpful guy. Looked after his patients. I'm just stunned."He described Pretti as an "outstanding" nurse who was hardworking, quick with a joke, and brought an "infectious" spirit to the workplace.

Outside of medicine, Pretti cared deeply about the environment. According to his mother, Susan Pretti, he was especially upset by federal rollbacks of environmental protections.

"He hated that, you know, people were just trashing the land," she said. The mom added that Pretti loved the country but was increasingly troubled by what he believed was happening to it.

She said her son loved being outdoors and often brought his dog Joule, a Catahoula Leopard dog who had recently passed away, everywhere he went.

Pretti's father, Michael Pretti, said his son had been emotionally affected by recent federal immigration actions, including the earlier fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good.

"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," said Pretti's dad. "He felt that doing the protesting was a way to express that, you know, his care for others."

In addition to his concerns about immigration and the environment, Pretti had a history of political engagement.

Protest History

According to his ex-wife via AP, Pretti had been politically active and participated in past protests. She was not surprised he may have joined demonstrations against Trump's immigration policies.

She asked not to be named and said they had not spoken in more than two years, since their divorce. After that, she moved to another state.

According to her, Pretti was a Democratic voter who took part in street protests following the 2020 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, not far from where the couple lived at the time.

The ex-wife said he might raise his voice at police during demonstrations, but she had never known him to be physically confrontational. She also recalled that he obtained a permit to carry a concealed firearm about three years ago and owned at least one semiautomatic handgun when they separated.