‘Tired but resolved’: Minnesotans protest after second fatal ICE shooting

By Rédaction Africanews and AP

Thousands of anti-ICE protesters marched through Minneapolis on Sunday to voice their anger at the fatal shooting of a local man a day earlier.

“Shut it down,” they chanted, as many waved signs calling for justice for 37-year-old Alex Pretti who was shoot and killed by a Border Patrol agent on Saturday morning.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE, said Pretti was shot after he “approached” Border Patrol officers with a gun. Officials did not say if Pretti brandished the weapon or kept it hidden.

An agency statement said officers fired “defensive shots” after Pretti “violently resisted” as officers tried to disarm him.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz expressed dismay at the characterization.

“I’ve seen the videos, from several angles, and it’s sickening,” he said.

Walz also expressed defiance of President Trump’s ongoing deployment of ICE agents to his state:

“So, now we’ve got two Minnesotans dead,” Watz said at a press briefing on Sunday. “My question is, what’s the plan, Donald Trump? What is the plan? What do we need to do to get these federal agents out of our state?”

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has mobilised thousands of federal agents to Minnesota, which is home to a large Somali community.

“You thought fear, violence and chaos is what you wanted from us, then you clearly underestimated the people of this state and nation. We are tired, but we’re resolved. We’re peaceful, but we’ll never forget. We’re angry, but we won’t give up hope. And above all else, we are clearly unified.”

Bystander videos

Multiple bystander videos that show a Border Patrol agent shooting and killing Pretti after a roughly 30-second scuffle contradict the statements by the Trump administration.

In the videos, Pretti is seen with only a phone in his hand. During the scuffle, “gun, gun” is heard, and an officer appears to pull a handgun from Pretti’s waist area and begins moving away. As that happens, a first shot is fired by a Border Patrol officer. There’s a slight pause, and then the same officer fires several more times into Pretti’s back.

Afterward, authorities said Pretti had a 9mm semiautomatic handgun. He was licensed to carry a concealed weapon.

It was the second fatal shooting in Minneapolis by federal immigration authorities this month.

The first, on January 7, involved Renee Good. It also was captured on videos.