Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem drew sharp backlash Saturday after publicly criticizing Alex Jeffrey Pretti, the 37-year-old nurse shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, questioning why he was carrying a legally owned firearm rather than a protest sign.
Speaking in Washington, D.C., just hours after the fatal shooting, Noem suggested Pretti’s lawful possession of a handgun undermined claims that he was peacefully protesting.
“I don’t know of any peaceful protester that shows up with a gun and ammunition rather than a sign,” Noem said. “This is a violent riot when you have someone showing up with weapons and using them to assault law enforcement officers.”
Pretti, a registered nurse who worked as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital, was shot shortly after 9 a.m. near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue during a federal immigration operation.
Minneapolis police confirmed he was a Minnesota resident with no criminal record beyond minor parking violations and that he legally possessed a permit to carry a firearm under state law.
Noem repeated claims made earlier by the Department of Homeland Security that Pretti brandished a handgun and violently resisted officers as they attempted to disarm him.
“This individual went and impeded law enforcement operations, attacked those officers, had a weapon on him and multiple rounds of ammunition,” Noem said. “This looks like someone who arrived to inflict maximum damage.”
However, the video circulating online appears to contradict key elements of that account. Footage from the scene shows Pretti holding a cellphone moments before a physical struggle began. Additional video appears to show an officer taking possession of Pretti’s handgun seconds before another agent fired multiple shots, killing him.
Civil liberties advocates and critics of DHS accused Noem of attacking a shooting victim and mischaracterizing the video evidence while the investigation remains ongoing, per the Daily Mail.
Noem also blamed Minnesota Democratic leaders for what she described as an environment that encourages violence against law enforcement, naming Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D).
“They need to take a long hard look in the mirror,” Noem said. “They need to evaluate their rhetoric and their encouragement of this behavior.”
According to DHS, agents were in the area attempting to arrest an Ecuadorian national, Jose Huerta-Chuma, who federal officials say is wanted on charges including domestic assault and disorderly conduct. Pretti and others were protesting the arrest when the confrontation occurred.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed city police were not involved in the immigration operation and did not fire the weapon that killed Pretti. O’Hara reiterated that Pretti was a lawful gun owner and was not the target of the federal operation.
Pretti’s death marks the third shooting involving federal agents in Minneapolis in recent weeks. Earlier this month, 38-year-old Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent during a separate incident.
Colleagues described Pretti as a dedicated healthcare professional who treated critically ill veterans and earned roughly $90,000 annually. His death has sent shockwaves through the local medical community and fueled ongoing protests across the city.
