Exact Timeline of Alex Pretti’s Tragic Incident Revealed in Detail

New, minute-by-minute analysis based on multiple verified videos shows a strikingly different sequence of events leading up to the fatal shooting of the 37-year-old in Minneapolis on Saturday morning.

The timeline raises fresh questions about official accounts of what happened and when. The timeline in this report is drawn directly from ABC News reporting.

Federal and law enforcement officials at first portrayed the encounter involving Alex Pretti as one in which he moved toward U.S. Border Patrol officers while armed with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun and then engaged them during an immigration enforcement action; this characterization has since been challenged by multiple bystander videos and witness accounts.

What Officials Said

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters that Pretti "arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement."

Federal officials have maintained that Pretti approached officers with a weapon and resisted disarmament. But critics, including former acting DHS undersecretary John Cohen, argue that the video evidence does not support that version. Cohen said:

"What the videos depict is that this guy did not walk up to anybody from CBP in a threatening manner. For [DHS] to construe that he arrived at that location with the intent to shoot those border patrol officers, there's nothing in the video evidence that we've seen thus far that would support that."

The video footage reviewed and verified by ABC News suggests the interaction unfolded differently, beginning with Pretti holding up what appears to be his phone and continuing through a chaotic confrontation that culminated in multiple agents firing shots.

What Happened

At 8:58:11 a.m., more than three minutes before the first shot was fired, Pretti is seen on Nicollet Avenue holding a phone while standing near a federal officer, seemingly recording the immigration enforcement activity.

Eleven seconds later, another federal officer carrying a pepper-spray canister approaches him, and at 8:58:29 a.m., one of the officers appears to push Pretti toward the sidewalk.

By 8:59:08 a.m., an eyewitness begins recording, showing Pretti lifting his phone toward officers as they appear to detain someone else. At 8:59:24 a.m., the same gesture recurs as another detainee is placed into a vehicle.

Escalation and Contact With ICE Agents

The sequence intensifies at 9:00:12 a.m., when Pretti continues holding his phone toward officers interacting with two individuals, one wearing an orange backpack.

By 9:00:21 a.m., the three civilians and federal agents are closely engaged, with one officer warning, "Watch out for that car" as a vehicle passes nearby.

At 9:00:41 a.m., three cameras capture another interaction, including an officer pushing a civilian toward Pretti after shouting, "Do not push them into traffic." Pretti maintains his phone-raising posture.

At 9:00:44 a.m., the pushed individual appears to grasp Pretti, and at 9:00:45 a.m., the same officer is seen pushing Pretti again.

Moments later, at 9:00:50 a.m., the officer uses pepper spray on Pretti. According to ABC News contributor and former acting DHS undersecretary John Cohen, it appears Pretti used his hand to signal that he was not a threat to officers.

Pretti seems to raise a hand to intervene between the officer and the person with the backpack, but is immediately pepper-sprayed again.

Confrontation on the Street

At 9:00:54 a.m., Pretti appears to fall into the person with the orange backpack, possibly to steady himself, and two seconds later, an officer appears to pull him into the street by the hood of his coat.

By 9:01:02 a.m., multiple officers hold Pretti down while others form a perimeter. Videos show at least five agents on top of him, and Cohen said, "This just seemed to be a free-for-all, and they didn't seem to have any understanding from a tactical perspective on how to gain control of that individual."

At 9:01:05 a.m, a woman nearby also yells, "That is police brutality. They are hitting an observer. They're kicking them in the face."

Seconds later, at 9:01:12 a.m., one officer is seen drawing a handgun. A second later, another agent appears to remove a gun from Pretti's waist. This weapon seems to match the handgun federal officials have said Pretti was carrying, and a third video shows that same officer emerging from the struggle clutching the firearm.

The Shooting and Aftermath

At 9:01:14 a.m., the first shot rings out. In the next seven seconds, forensic audio analysis concludes that 10 shots were fired in less than five seconds. Pretti appears to go limp and fall to the ground as agents step back.

By 9:01:45 a.m., an officer approaches his body, and according to a sworn affidavit from a doctor who treated Pretti at the scene, he suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his back, chest, and possibly his neck.

At 9:02:28 a.m., the officer in the grey jacket is heard saying, "I got the gun. I got the gun," as he walks toward the group around Pretti's body.

Pretti's death has triggered protests in Minneapolis and beyond, sparked debate over federal immigration enforcement tactics, and intensified scrutiny of law enforcement actions in politically charged operations.

Officials and community members alike are calling for transparency, accountability, and further investigation as more evidence and witness accounts continue to surface.

As investigators and journalists continue piecing together a minute-by-minute account of what unfolded on that Minneapolis street, the shooting has now sparked a wave of high-profile condemnation and deeply personal grief, from a former president to the family of the man at the center of it all.

In a rare and sharply-worded public statement, former U.S. President Barack Obama has condemned the killing of Alex Pretti — a U.S. citizen shot by a federal agent in Minneapolis — and laid the blame squarely on the Trump administration's handling of federal law enforcement.

Obama Lashes Out at Federal Agents over 'Heartbreaking Tragedy'

Calling the incident "a heartbreaking tragedy," Obama warned that it should serve as a wake-up call to all Americans, regardless of political affiliation, highlighting that core national values are increasingly "under assault." The remarks, made on January 25, 2026, marked one of Obama's most overt criticisms of a sitting president since leaving office.

"Administration officials seem eager to escalate the situation," Obama said, referencing the chaos that erupted in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of both Pretti and Renee Good.

He accused federal agents of deploying "unprecedented tactics" meant to intimidate and harass citizens — tactics he said have now led to avoidable deaths. For weeks, growing outrage has surged nationwide following footage of masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recruits and other agents operating aggressively in U.S. neighborhoods.

Obama echoed that sentiment, denouncing the federal agents' conduct as "embarrassing, lawless and cruel," even quoting a former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) top lawyer who had used those exact words to criticize such practices.

He went further, accusing the current administration of issuing "public explanations for the shootings of Mr. Pretti and Renee Good that aren't informed by any serious investigation — and that appear to be directly contradicted by video evidence."

Mounting Fury and Plea for Peace

In a plea for de-escalation, Obama urged officials to work constructively with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and local law enforcement to avoid further violence and restore accountability.

"This has to stop," he asserted, warning that without action, more American lives could be put at risk.

The former president concluded his statement by expressing support for peaceful protests across the country, dubbing them a "timely reminder" of the public's power to challenge injustice and demand transparency and accountability from their government.

Family of Slain Nurse Speaks Out

While former President Obama's remarks amplified growing national outrage over the killing, it is the voice of Pretti's heartbroken family that has added a profoundly human dimension to the tragedy.

In their first public statement since the on-camera shooting, the family of the late 37-year-old ICU nurse described themselves as both "heartbroken and angry," condemning what they called a campaign of misinformation surrounding his death.

"The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting," they said. "Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump's murdering and cowardly ICE thugs." Pretti was killed during an ICE operation in Minneapolis, where he had reportedly joined a protest against ICE's presence.

Caught on Camera: Harrowing Final Moments Captured in Graphic Footage

Footage from the scene shows Pretti attempting to shield a woman who had been shoved to the ground by officers. With his phone in hand and his left arm raised in what appears to be a protective gesture, Pretti was then forcibly separated from the woman, pepper-sprayed, and ultimately subdued by six agents.

The graphic video depicts Pretti struggling on all fours under the weight of several officers. One ICE agent is then seen reaching for his holstered firearm. Moments later, a barrage of gunfire erupts — killing him instantly.

Family Honors a Life of Service and Sacrifice

Pretti's family painted a portrait of a devoted son, friend, and public servant who had committed his life to helping others.

"Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital," the statement reads.

Calling him a "hero," the family insisted that his final moments embodied the values he lived by. "Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the hero term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman."

While the DHS claimed that Pretti was armed with a nine mm handgun and that agents fired in self-defense, his family adamantly rejected that account, calling it a distortion of the truth.

"He has his phone in his right hand and [SIC] 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 clarified.

Demanding accountability and public awareness, the family closed their statement with an emotional plea, "Please get the truth out about our son." They emphasized that above all, he was a "good man."

As calls for justice and transparency intensify, the death of Pretti has become more than a tragic moment, it has become a rallying cry against the unchecked use of force, and a solemn reminder of the lives lost in its wake.

At this time, we wish to extend our most heartfelt condolences to Pretti's entire family, all his loved ones, friends, and community as they mourn such a significant loss.

As investigators review video, witness accounts, and forensic evidence, questions about Pretti’s final minutes persist, even as calls for answers grow louder. What began as a single fatal encounter has become a broader reckoning over federal enforcement, use of force, and public trust.

For Pretti's family, and for a city still reeling, the hope is that truth, accountability, and justice will ultimately emerge from the chaos that claimed a life and forever altered countless others.