A firearms expert has pointed out a major detail about Alex Pretti’s gun which could explain why he may have been shot.
The fatal shooting of the 37-year-old intensive care nurse has become one of the most closely scrutinized law enforcement incidents in the US this year.
It has prompted intense debate over federal policing tactics, and the use of force by immigration agents.
Multiple videos and eyewitness accounts show Pretti being confronted by agents and shot shortly afterwards.
Pretti, who worked in the intensive care unit of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and cared for American veterans, was among a group of citizens near the scene when the confrontation with federal agents escalated.
His death marked the second fatal shooting involving ICE agents in the city this month, following the January 7 killing of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mom-of-three.
The development has fueled public anger and political scrutiny of the Trump administration’s expanded deployment of ICE officers to Minneapolis.
Federal officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have defended the actions of the agents involved, branding Pretti without evidence as a ‘domestic terrorist.’
Trump’s administration backtracks
The administration previously asserted that Pretti was armed, and that officers acted in self‑defense.
But Minneapolis police later confirmed that Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a valid permit in the state.
In a surprising shift, President Trump has indicated plans to scale back the federal immigration presence in Minnesota and give local law enforcement a central role in examining the circumstances of Pretti’s death, The Guardian reports.
Alongside that decision, Gregory Bovino, who had been overseeing the Minneapolis operation, is set to depart the state and has been fired from his role.
In his place, Trump has sent former ICE director Tom Homan – whom the president has described as ‘tough but fair’ – to oversee operations and report directly to him.
As the controversy escalates and multiple investigations remain underway, the question of what exactly prompted officers to fire on Pretti – and the role that the presence or absence of a firearm may have played – has become central to the ongoing public and legal debate, CNN explains.
Conflicting narratives
President Trump described Pretti as a ‘gunman’ and shared images of the recovered weapon, questioning: “What is that all about?”
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claimed he intended to ‘massacre law enforcement’ and do ‘maximum damage,’ though she did not say he had drawn or brandished the weapon.
Pretti’s family has vehemently rejected these characterizations, describing their son as ‘a kind-hearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends.’
Robert Alver, a former colleague, said through tears: “There is no way on God’s green Earth that he would ever be going anywhere to hurt somebody.”
And now, firearms expert has identified a crucial detail about Alex Pretti’s handgun that may explain why the 37-year-old ICU nurse was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis last Saturday.
A legal gun owner
According to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, Pretti was ‘a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry,’ per Sky News.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed he was carrying the semi-automatic handgun along with two magazines of ammunition.
However, video footage from multiple sources shows Pretti was not brandishing the weapon.
His family stated: “Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head.”
The major detail
Rob Doar, a lawyer for the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, believes Pretti’s Sig P320 semi-automatic handgun may have accidentally discharged after an agent removed it from the nurse’s holster, potentially triggering the deadly response from other officers.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Doar stated: “I believe it’s highly likely the first shot was a negligent discharge from the agent in the grey jacket after he removed the Sig P320 from Pretti’s holster while exiting the scene.”
Heartbreaking footage captured the moment Pretti was pinned to the floor and pepper-sprayed before being shot at least 10 times in just five seconds.
The videos suggest agents had already disarmed him and had the situation under control when the fatal shots were fired.
If an accidental discharge occurred after the weapon was removed, it might have created a false perception of danger among the agents.
However, as Doar’s analysis suggests, this would mean the responding gunfire was directed at an already-disarmed and helpless man on the ground.
