The fatal shooting of intensive care nurse Alex Pretti by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis may have been triggered by an accidental discharge of Pretti's own firearm, according to emerging analysis of video evidence from the scene. The 37-year-old healthcare worker was protesting ICE operations when the deadly confrontation unfolded, raising serious questions about police procedures and the escalating tensions surrounding immigration enforcement in American cities.
Contagious Fire Phenomenon Under Scrutiny
Rob Doar, President of the Minnesota Gun Owners Law Centre, has conducted detailed analysis of multiple videos from the incident and concluded that the first shot likely came from an ICE agent who negligently discharged Pretti's Sig P320 pistol after removing it from the nurse's holster. "After analysing the videos, I believe it's highly likely the first shot was a negligent discharge from the agent in the grey jacket after he removed the firearm from Pretti's holster while exiting the scene," Doar stated publicly.
This accidental discharge appears to have triggered what law enforcement experts describe as 'contagious fire' - a documented phenomenon where police officers become significantly more likely to discharge their weapons when they hear gunfire, regardless of its source. Research indicates officers are approximately eleven times more likely to shoot when they perceive gunfire in their vicinity, creating dangerous chain reactions in high-pressure situations.
Legal Carry and Conflicting Narratives
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara confirmed that Alex Pretti was legally conceal-carrying a handgun under Minnesota state law at the time of the incident. Video evidence reviewed by multiple news organisations, including the New York Times and Guardian, supports witness accounts that Pretti never drew or brandished his firearm during the confrontation.
Despite this evidence, conflicting official narratives have emerged from Washington. President Donald Trump has characterised the shooting as "justified" and defended the ICE agents involved, while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem labelled Pretti a "domestic terrorist." Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino suggested the nurse was plotting to "massacre law enforcement," allegations strongly rejected by Pretti's family and supported by available video documentation.
Family Outrage and Political Fallout
Michael Pretti, Alex's father, described his son as someone who "cared about people" and participated in protests because "he thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street." The family issued a powerful statement condemning what they called "sickening lies told about our son by the administration" as "reprehensible and disgusting."
They emphasised: "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 while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down, all while being pepper-sprayed."
Insurrection Act Threats Escalate Tensions
The ongoing unrest in Minnesota following Pretti's death has prompted President Trump to threaten invocation of the Insurrection Act, an 1807 law that grants presidential authority to deploy military forces to suppress civil unrest. The act was last invoked during the 1992 Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King verdict.
Trump previously told reporters in October: "We have an Insurrection Act for a reason. If people were being killed and courts were holding us up, or governors or mayors were holding us up, sure, I'd do that." This threat has further inflamed tensions in Minneapolis, where community groups are intensifying efforts to remove ICE operations from their city.
The case continues to develop as multiple investigations proceed, with forensic experts examining whether the sequence of ten shots fired into Pretti began with an ICE agent's accidental discharge of the nurse's legally-carried firearm. The incident highlights critical issues surrounding police training, use-of-force protocols, and the psychological dynamics of "contagious fire" in high-stress law enforcement situations.
