Report: Alex Pretti Suffered Broken Rib Days Before Fatal Encounter With Federal Agents in Minneapolis

Alex Pretti, the man fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis over the weekend, had sustained a broken rib roughly one week prior to the deadly incident, according to sources familiar with the case.

Sources told CNN that Pretti’s injury occurred during an earlier confrontation with federal officers. According to those accounts, Pretti stopped his vehicle after observing ICE agents allegedly pursuing a family on foot and began shouting and blowing a whistle. During that encounter, the source said, five federal agents tackled Pretti, with one agent placing pressure on his back. Pretti was reportedly released at the scene but later said he suffered a broken rib as a result of the incident.

CNN further reported that Pretti was subsequently prescribed medication consistent with treatment for a fractured rib.

Local residents described Pretti as being involved in a neighborhood anti-ICE Signal chat group. According to neighbors, approximately 50 agitators confronted Border Patrol agents Saturday as they attempted to arrest a criminal illegal immigrant.

A woman identified as Blair told the New York Post that protesters gathered after word spread that federal agents were operating in the area. She said she heard gunfire at approximately 8:30 a.m., shortly before ambulances arrived on the scene.

Pretti, 37, was shot and killed by federal officers after resisting arrest while agents attempted to take him into custody, according to a Department of Homeland Security notice provided to Congress.

Video footage from the scene shows an officer shouting “gun” moments before shots were fired. Authorities are reviewing whether a round may have discharged from Pretti’s firearm after it was removed during the struggle, potentially prompting agents to fire their weapons.

According to DHS reporting, two officers — one with U.S. Border Patrol and one with Customs and Border Protection — discharged their agency-issued firearms during the encounter. The report does not specify whether both officers’ bullets struck Pretti and does not substantiate earlier claims by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that Pretti was “brandishing” a weapon.

Bystander video reviewed by multiple news organizations appears to show an agent removing a firearm from Pretti’s waistband shortly before shots were fired. Other footage, however, shows Pretti holding only a phone before he was pepper-sprayed and forced to the ground.

Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino stated that agents were attempting to disarm Pretti when one officer fired defensive shots out of concern for his life and the safety of fellow agents. Bovino said Pretti possessed a nine-millimeter semi-automatic handgun and two loaded magazines, though authorities have not stated definitively whether the weapon was brandished during the struggle.

Pretti worked as an intensive care nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital and was described by some acquaintances as deeply committed to helping others. He was also active in protests opposing federal immigration enforcement.

The shooting has fueled protests in Minneapolis and elsewhere and marks the second fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by federal agents in the city this month.

Federal and local authorities are continuing to review body camera footage and other evidence as multiple investigations move forward.

An initial Department of Homeland Security report reviewed by CNN confirmed that two officers fired their weapons during the confrontation. The report, prepared by Customs and Border Protection, states that an officer repeatedly shouted, “He’s got a gun,” before shots were fired while agents struggled with Pretti on the ground.

“CBP personnel attempted to take Pretti into custody,” the report states. “Pretti resisted CBP personnel’s efforts and a struggle ensued.”

“During the struggle, a (Border Patrol agent) yelled, ‘He’s got a gun!’ multiple times,” the report adds.

The report concludes that approximately five seconds later, a Border Patrol agent fired a CBP-issued Glock 19, while a Customs and Border Protection officer discharged a CBP-issued Glock 47.