Overview
Alex Pretti was killed by federal agents on January 24, 2026 in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metro area during Operation Metro Surge — the second fatal civilian shooting by federal agents during the operation, 17 days after Renée Good’s killing. According to State Court Report’s summary of legal analyses, videos “allegedly show Pretti disarmed and restrained on the ground when he was shot multiple times.” The Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death — a decision conspicuously inconsistent with the DOJ’s declination to investigate Good’s shooting. Pretti is one of three named victims in Hennepin County/Minnesota’s March 24, 2026 federal lawsuit seeking evidence from DHS and DOJ.
Key Facts
- Killed Jan. 24, 2026, by federal agents during Operation Metro Surge Minnesota Kicks Off Legal Battle With Trump Administration to Hold ICE Shooters Accountable
- Videos reportedly show Pretti “disarmed and restrained on the ground when he was shot multiple times” When Can States Prosecute Federal Agents
- DOJ opened civil rights investigation into his death — distinct from the declination in Good’s case Minnesota sues to obtain evidence in shootings by federal officers during ICE surge
- On Feb. 13, 2026, the FBI notified Minnesota state investigators it would not share materials in the Pretti case Minnesota Kicks Off Legal Battle With Trump Administration to Hold ICE Shooters Accountable
- DHS stated the Pretti case is “under investigation by FBI and DHS with potential discipline or civil rights charges”
- Named shooter not released by federal authorities; Minnesota Star Tribune and ProPublica independently identified agents involved
Newsletter Relevance
Pretti’s case is the second data point in the emerging Operation Metro Surge pattern — useful for any piece that wants to treat Good as a case study rather than an anomaly. The DOJ civil rights investigation in Pretti but not Good is a disparate-treatment fact that directly undercuts any claim that federal inaction is a principled jurisdictional position. If investigation is appropriate for one federal shooting in Minneapolis, the declination in the other is a choice, not a policy.
Connections
- Killing of Renée Good — 17 days earlier; same operation
- Operation Metro Surge — operational context
- Mary Moriarty — Hennepin County Attorney investigating
- Keith Ellison — Minnesota AG
- Department of Justice — opened civil rights investigation (unlike Good case)
- Department of Homeland Security — parent of shooting agents
Source Appearances
- Minnesota Kicks Off Legal Battle With Trump Administration to Hold ICE Shooters Accountable — one of three named victims in the March 24 lawsuit
- Minnesota sues to obtain evidence in shootings by federal officers during ICE surge — DOJ opened civil rights investigation in this case but declined Good’s
- When Can States Prosecute Federal Agents — video analysis cited; “disarmed and restrained on the ground”
Open Questions
- Who are the federal agents who fired?
- What’s the status of the FBI/DHS civil rights probe?
- Will the federal investigation produce charges or be closed quietly?
- Why the DOJ disparate treatment between Pretti and Good cases?