On January 24, 2026, during a DHS immigration operation, legal gun owner and VA nurse Pretti intervened near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue, leading agents to pepper-spray him, wrestle him down, remove his handgun, and shoot him after yelling ‘he’s got a gun.’
Videos show no brandishing, and this followed a week-earlier clash where agents broke his rib during a protest stop.
The incident, the second U.S. citizen death by federal agents in Minneapolis this month, drew outrage from Democrats and some Republicans calling for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s removal, while President Trump backed her and promised an investigation amid nationwide protests.
