Summary
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is leading the federal inquiry into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in south Minneapolis. The FBI is helping, and Border Patrol’s agency is running its usual internal review. If that sounds like a complicated group project, well — it is.
Who’s in charge (and why this is eyebrow-raising)
HSI, a branch of DHS, has been named the lead investigator. That’s unusual: HSI normally focuses on cross-border crimes like trafficking, smuggling and exploitation — not routine officer-involved shootings. Critics and former officials have pointed out that HSI isn’t typically structured to run things like ballistics, large-scale witness canvasses, firearm examinations, or heavy-duty forensic video analysis the way other agencies might.
What the government says happened
According to Department of Homeland Security officials, Pretti approached federal officers with a handgun. Officials say officers tried to disarm him, that the situation turned violent, and an agent fired in what they call self-defense. The agency has emphasized that investigators are collecting scientific evidence — fingerprints, DNA, how many rounds were fired and similar physical clues.
What witnesses and video show
Bystander videos reviewed by news outlets and people who say they were there paint a different picture. Some clips appear to show Pretti holding a phone in one hand and not a weapon in the other. Other footage shows an agent reaching into a scuffle empty-handed and then coming out with a gun before the first shot. Witnesses who filed sworn statements said the man approached with a camera, not a gun, and that agents pulled him to the ground.
A messy context
This case comes on the heels of another recent fatal encounter involving federal agents in Minneapolis, which has heightened local tensions. Officials in both incidents have described the shootings as defensive actions by agents, while some eyewitness accounts and videos have cast doubt on those official versions.
Why some people think an outside team should handle it
Former federal law enforcement officials say it’s odd for a Department of Homeland Security component to lead a criminal probe into a shooting involving DHS personnel. Their argument: investigations are usually more impartial if an external or independent team handles them, especially when the agency under scrutiny is the same one running the inquiry.
Legal next steps
Any criminal charges would be the domain of the Department of Justice, not DHS. In the meantime, administrative reviews and parallel inquiries will continue as investigators sort through forensic evidence and witness statements. That process — slow, technical and often frustrating — will be what decides whether this becomes a criminal prosecution or remains an internal matter.
Human fallout
Beyond the legal and bureaucratic wrangling, the case has stirred the community: vigils and public debate have followed the shooting, and local leaders and residents are watching the investigation closely. Whatever the final conclusion, this incident has added fuel to already heated conversations about use of force, accountability, and which agencies should investigate their own.
Bottom line
HSI is leading the probe, the FBI is assisting, and citizens and former officials are asking whether that setup makes sense. Videos and witness statements complicate the official narrative, and the evidence-gathering process will be crucial. Expect more data, more legal arguments, and more questions as investigators piece together what really happened.
