A body language expert reviewed a video that shows the moment Alex Pretti was killed and has told people to "pay very close attention" to the man in the gray jacket.
Minneapolis was once again thrust into national controversy on Saturday, January 24, when 37‑year‑old ICU was shot and killed by ICE officers - just weeks after another fatal encounter involving Renée Good.
The tragic incident took place at approximately 9:05AM near Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, where the agents encountered Pretti while conducting an enforcement operation in the area.
According to DHS, the nurse approached ICE and Border Patrol agents during the operation, allegedly carrying a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and two loaded magazines.
Officials say he resisted efforts to disarm him, prompting an agent to fire what they called defensive shots.
Emergency medical aid was provided, but Pretti died at the scene.
A picture of the alleged firearm and two magazines was distributed by federal officials, who also claimed he had no identification on him.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem later doubled down, saying Pretti arrived “to inflict maximum damage” and insisted the shooting was justified, The Guardian reported.
But by the time those statements were made, videos of the incident had already gone viral, and showed a very different reality.
In those clips, Pretti appears to be holding a phone, not a gun, as multiple agents tackle him to the ground. He's then pepper-sprayed and restrained by at least five officers.
Expert Breaks Down Footage
Body language expert Dr. G Explains, who reviewed the footage in detail, pointed viewers to a specific moment.
“I want you to pay very close attention to the man in the grey jacket,” he said. “You see him remove the gun from Alex Pretti’s pants.”
According to Dr. G, “the second” the firearm was pulled from Pretti’s waistband, someone yelled “gun” - yet the agent who removed it didn’t alert others or act to de-escalate.
“You literally see him turn around and run the other direction,” the expert added, suggesting the agent’s body language raised serious questions about the threat narrative presented by DHS.
Eyewitnesses Back the Video, Not the Government
Two bystanders who witnessed the shooting firsthand provided sworn affidavits as part of an ACLU lawsuit, and both say they never saw Pretti draw a weapon.
Still, White House adviser Stephen Miller labeled Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” a characterization Pretti’s parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, called “reprehensible and disgusting”.
“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,” their statement read.
Pretti’s Parents Speak Out
The late healthcare professional's parents described him as 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".
"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," they continued.
The family slammed the "sickening lies" told by the Trump administration, and are calling for full transparency, the release of all bodycam footage, and the truth to come out.
“Please get the truth out about our son,” they concluded. “He was a good man.”
Trump Defends Operation, Sparks Outrage
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, President Donald Trump defended the federal agents.
“I don’t like any shooting. I don’t like it,” he said. “But I don’t like it when somebody goes into a protest and he’s got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also. That doesn’t play good either.”
He referred to Pretti’s firearm, reportedly removed from his waistband during the scuffle, as “a dangerous and unpredictable gun… a gun that goes off when people don’t know it.”
Trump also wrote on Truth Social: “LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB! 12,000 Illegal Alien Criminals… have been arrested and taken out of Minnesota.”
Meanwhile, former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton both condemned the shooting.
The Obamas issued a joint statement calling it “a heartbreaking tragedy” and warning that core American values were “under assault.”
“These unprecedented tactics… have now resulted in the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens,” they said, referring to Pretti and Renee Good. “Rather than trying to impose accountability, the current administration seems eager to escalate the situation - offering explanations contradicted by video evidence.”
The Obamas called on Americans to support the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country.
“They are a timely reminder that ultimately it’s up to each of us as citizens to speak out against injustice, protect our basic freedoms and hold our government accountable,” they added.