The closest eyewitness to the fatal shooting of anti-ICE protester Alex Pretti in Minnesota this weekend has shared a detailed account of what she says unfolded, an account that appears to reinforce claims circulating online in the hours and days after his death.

On Saturday, January 24, Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was shot and killed by officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a volatile encounter in Minneapolis. His death came less than a month after another fatal shooting involving federal agents in the city, further intensifying public anger and unrest across Minnesota.

Tensions have been running high in the region amid an expanded federal enforcement presence, with ICE agents conducting arrests and immigration operations throughout Minneapolis in recent weeks. Critics have described the tactics as aggressive and destabilizing, arguing they have fueled fear and confrontation rather than safety.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, federal officials alleged that Pretti had brandished a firearm and posed a lethal threat. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem publicly claimed that Pretti intended to cause “maximum damage” and suggested he wanted to “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 reportedly recovered at the scene.

However, video footage that emerged later appears to challenge those initial statements. According to reporting and legal filings, Pretti had a legal permit to carry a firearm, and the gun was allegedly removed from his holster by federal agents before shots were fired. In multiple recordings, Pretti can be seen holding a cellphone, with no weapon visible in his hands.

One video appears to show Pretti attempting to assist two women during the confrontation, holding only his phone as agents moved in. Moments later, he was forced to the ground, pepper-sprayed, and shot multiple times.

An eyewitness who filmed the incident from close range has since provided a sworn affidavit as part of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union against the Trump administration. The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was approximately five feet away when Pretti was shot.

“I decided to check it out on my way to work. I’ve been involved in observing in my community because it is so important to document what ICE is doing to my neighbours,” she said.

“It didn’t look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up. I didn’t see him with a gun. They threw him to the ground.”

She described several agents restraining Pretti at once.

“Four or five agents had him on the ground and they just started shooting him. They shot him so many times. I don’t know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him.”

The witness further stated that pepper spray was used repeatedly during the encounter.

“Then he started pepper spraying all three of them directly in the face and all over. The man with the phone put his hands above his head and the agent sprayed him again and pushed him.

“The agents pulled the man on the ground. I didn’t see him touch any of them – he wasn’t even turned toward them.”

Additional footage appears to show an agent removing Pretti’s firearm from his person before the shooting, raising further questions about whether he was armed or posed a threat at the moment lethal force was used.

The eyewitness reiterated that point in her affidavit.

“The man did not approach the agents with a gun. He approached them with a camera. He was just trying to help a woman get up and they took him to the ground.

“I am disgusted and gutted at how they are treating my neighbours and my state.”

Pretti’s family has also strongly disputed the official narrative surrounding his death. In a public statement, they accused federal authorities of spreading false and damaging claims about their son.

“The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting,” the family wrote. “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 urged the public and the media to scrutinize the available evidence and to challenge what they described as misinformation.

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

Federal authorities have said that the shooting remains under review. As investigations and legal challenges continue, Pretti’s death has become a focal point in the broader national debate over immigration enforcement, use of force, and accountability during federal operations.