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A photo of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol officer over the weekend, is displayed at the shooting scene Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

DHS Initial Report on Pretti Says 2 Agents Shot After Another Yelled that He Had a Gun

Benjamin Gill
01-30-2026

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The Department of Homeland Security has released an initial report on the shooting death of 37-year-old activist Alex Pretti in Minnesota.

When officers tried to take Pretti into custody, he resisted, leading to a struggle. During the struggle, a Border Patrol agent yelled, “He’s got a gun!” multiple times. 

The report says two federal agents shot Pretti after the other agent yelled about the gun. It does not say Pretti tried to reach for the weapon.

Investigators from Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility conducted the analysis based on a review of body-worn camera footage and agency documentation. Congress was notified of the results of the review on Tuesday.

The latest development comes along with a growing move among Republican and Democratic lawmakers to remove Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. The White House on Monday distanced itself from comments Noem made on Saturday when she accused Pretti of domestic terrorism.

At least 29 Republican members of Congress and many more Democrats have been demanding a full investigation of the incident. 

The two border patrol agents involved in the shooting death of Pretti are now on administrative leave.

Newly released video shows the activist in a confrontation with agents 11 days before the fatal shooting. The video shows Pretti yelling obscenities at agents and kicking out a taillight on their vehicle. Agents then get out and wrestle him to the ground before releasing him, a gun visible in his waistband. 

Investigations into Pretti's death are ongoing. 

His death came less than three weeks after anti-ICE activist Renee Good was fatally shot behind the wheel of her vehicle. As a result of the two shootings, President Trump is shaking up the leadership of immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota. 

Trump has now sent border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to seek cooperation with state and local officials. The president also suggested a plan to finish the illegal immigration crackdown in a "de-escalated form."

Homan is taking over the Minnesota operation from Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who has come under scrutiny for the tactics and the violence in recent weeks.

But the political temperature remains elevated in the region. Tuesday night, when Minneapolis Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar made a call for Noem's removal, a man charged the podium and appeared to spray liquid at her.  

Omar had just called for the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and for Noem to step down. "We must abolish ICE for good," Omar said. "And DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment!" 

That's when the man charged at Omar and squirted liquid at her while being apprehended.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, is one of many who have denounced the assault. “I am deeply disturbed to learn that Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked at a town hall today,” Mace said. “Regardless of how vehemently I disagree with her rhetoric - and I do - no elected official should face physical attacks. This is not who we are.”

Following the assault on Omar, U.S. Capitol Police issued a statement that the agency was “working with our federal partners to see this man faces the most serious charges possible to deter this kind of violence in our society.”

The Capitol Police also released numbers detailing threats to members of Congress: 14,938 “concerning statements, behaviors, and communications directed against lawmakers, their families, staff, and the Capitol Complex" in 2025.

Meanwhile, violent rhetoric remains a serious problem across the country. A Democratic candidate for attorney general in Ohio, Elliot Forhan, posted a video saying, "I am going to kill Donald Trump."

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About The Author

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Benjamin
Gill

Benjamin Gill is a writer and editor who manages CBNNews.com and the CBN News app while also curating social media material. He has been on staff with CBN News as an internet and broadcast producer since 2000, with stints producing for CBN Newswatch and The 700 Club. He is a graduate of Queens College in New York City, where he also interned as a reporter at Newsday and worked as an editor in the publishing industry. Benjamin has served as a worship leader and elder at his local church and has a passion for reporting the evidence of God in our world while pointing people to Jesus Christ. Here