A Review of the Sequence in the Shooting of Alex Pretti

Commentary

Alex Pretti was shot by federal law enforcement officers on Saturday in Minneapolis during a street altercation, video footage shows.

Here is a review of the sequence of events, using several videos available online, which unfolded in the following manner:

1. Pretti is seen in the street holding up a cellphone and interacting with a federal agent, who pushes him toward the sidewalk.

2. Pretti steps backward after being pushed.

3. Pretti holds a cellphone in his right hand, while his left hand remains empty.

4. The agent Pretti was interacting with pushes a person out of the street, causing them to fall, and then does the same to a second individual.

5. Pretti steps between the two people and the agent.

6. The agent begins to grapple with Pretti, and additional officers quickly join the encounter.

7. Pretti is on his knees, bent forward, with his hands on the ground, still holding the cellphone in his right hand.

8. Pretti resists the officers and is struck in the head by an agent.

9. An agent on the left side reaches into the struggle, removes a pistol from Pretti’s waistband, and turns to walk away.

10. Someone shouts, “Gun, gun.”

11. Federal officers then fire on Pretti, with other agents joining in.

12. Agents fired ten shots.

The analysis goes against what DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a press conference on Saturday, claiming, “An individual approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun. The officers attempted to disarm this individual, but the armed suspect reacted violently. Fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him, an agent fired defensive shots.”

It is unknown if she has since corrected the record. If Noem has, there are no videos or written statements showing that she has.

Authorities have not yet clarified who shouted “Gun, gun,” or why, or why Pretti was present without identification and his concealed carry permit. Pretti’s parents told ABC-affiliate KSTP that they had recently advised him to protest safely without engaging in risky behavior.

Finally, Pretti was legally allowed to carry a firearm under U.S. law. According to my research, there are no laws in Minnesota or Minneapolis prohibiting the possession of two magazines simultaneously.