Witness Accounts Challenge Official Narrative in Minneapolis Fatal Incident
Two eyewitnesses have provided sworn testimony that directly contradicts the official account given by Trump administration officials regarding the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. The 37-year-old intensive care nurse was killed by federal agents on Saturday, with authorities initially claiming he had approached officers while brandishing a weapon.
Contradictory Evidence Emerges in Court Filings
The witness accounts were filed in federal court in Minnesota just hours after the shooting occurred, as part of a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Minneapolis protesters. The lawsuit targets Kristi Noem and other homeland security officials overseeing immigration enforcement operations in the city.
Both witnesses had their names redacted in the publicly available court documents, but their detailed testimonies paint a starkly different picture of events than that presented by federal authorities.
First Witness: A Children's Entertainer's Account
The first witness, identified as a children's entertainer who specialises in face painting, filmed what has been described as the clearest video of the fatal encounter. Wearing a pink coat and positioned just behind Pretti, she testified that she came to the scene on her way to work because she felt compelled to document what Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were doing in her community.
In her sworn affidavit, she described seeing Pretti come to the aid of another observer who federal agents had shoved to the ground. According to her testimony, one federal agent then sprayed a chemical agent in the faces of both Pretti and the woman he was attempting to help.
The witness stated categorically: "I didn't see him with a gun. They threw him to the ground. Four or five agents had him on the ground and they just started shooting him. They shot him so many times ... I was five feet from him and they just shot him."
She directly challenged the Department of Homeland Security's official statement about the incident, testifying that Pretti approached agents with a camera, not a gun, and was simply trying to help a woman get up before being taken to the ground.
Second Witness: A Physician's Perspective
The second witness, a 29-year-old physician who observed the incident from their apartment window near the scene, testified that they saw Pretti yelling at agents but "did not see him attack the agents or brandish a weapon of any kind."
After the shooting, when the physician attempted to render medical aid, they were initially prevented from doing so by ICE agents. "At first the ICE agents wouldn't let me through," they testified. "But none of the ICE agents who were near the victim were performing CPR, and I could tell that the victim was in critical condition."
When finally allowed to approach the victim, the physician described a disturbing scene where officers "appeared to be counting his bullet wounds" rather than checking his pulse or performing life-saving measures. The examination revealed at least three bullet wounds in Pretti's back, one on his upper left chest, and another possible gunshot wound in his neck.
Official Claims Versus Eyewitness Evidence
The witness testimony, combined with video evidence reviewed by journalists, directly contradicts claims made by senior Trump administration officials. President Donald Trump, Homeland Security Secretary, and border patrol commander Greg Bovino had all characterised Pretti as a "gunman" who approached federal officers while "brandishing" a weapon and threatening to "massacre" them.
The emerging evidence suggests a significant discrepancy between the official account and what multiple eyewitnesses observed during the fatal encounter in Minneapolis.
