An expert has weighed in on a detail that may help explain why Alex Pretti was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents on Saturday, January 24, as questions continue to surround the circumstances of his death.
Less than a month after the killing of 37-year-old Renee Good sparked nationwide outrage, another U.S. citizen has died during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Pretti, also 37, was an ICU nurse who worked closely with U.S. military veterans. According to multiple accounts, he was pepper-sprayed and restrained by agents before being shot multiple times at close range.

Federal immigration authorities, including agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, have maintained a visible presence in Minneapolis in recent weeks as part of broader efforts to detain individuals suspected of being in the country unlawfully. Those operations have frequently drawn protests, and tensions escalated further following the fatal shooting of Good on January 7.
In the hours after Pretti’s death, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem accused him of brandishing a firearm and claimed he intended to cause “maximum damage” and “massacre law enforcement.” Former President Donald Trump echoed those claims on social media, describing Pretti as a gunman and sharing an image of a firearm allegedly recovered at the scene.

Subsequent video footage, however, has appeared to challenge those initial statements. While it is not disputed that Pretti was carrying a legally owned handgun and had a permit to do so, recordings circulating online suggest that the weapon was removed from his holster by agents before he was shot. In at least one video, Pretti can be seen holding only a cellphone while attempting to shield two women during the confrontation.
Against that backdrop, a new theory has been raised by an expert familiar with firearms and use-of-force cases. Rob Doar, an attorney for the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, suggested that an accidental discharge may have triggered the shooting.
In a post on X, Doar wrote:

“I believe it’s highly likely the first shot was a negligent discharge from the agent in the grey jacket after he removed the Sig P320 from Pretti’s holster while exiting the scene.”

Doar’s theory proposes that another agent may have mistaken that initial sound for hostile gunfire and responded by opening fire. He emphasized that this was an assessment based on available footage and should be fully examined as part of any official investigation.
Video evidence reviewed by media outlets appears to show that Pretti was already disarmed and pinned to the ground when shots were fired, raising further questions about whether lethal force was necessary at that moment.
Pretti’s family has forcefully rejected the characterization of him as a threat. In a public statement, they accused federal officials of spreading falsehoods about his actions in the moments before his death.

“The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting,” the family said. “Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked. 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.”

They concluded by urging the public to scrutinize the available evidence.

“Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.”

Federal authorities have said the incident remains under review. As investigations continue, Pretti’s death has become part of a broader debate over immigration enforcement tactics, use of force, and accountability during federal operations in U.S. cities.