A 37-year-old U.S. citizen, Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis on Saturday. Federal officials say the shooting was self-defense, claiming Pretti approached agents with a gun. But multiple videos and eyewitness accounts do not back up the Trump administration claims, showing that Pretti was instead holding his phone and suggesting his weapon was actually removed by agents before they shot and killed him.
This is the second fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by federal agents in Minneapolis in less than a month. The latest incident has sparked mass protests, lawsuits, and political backlash.
Mosheh was joined by Elie Honig, former state and federal prosecutor and CNN senior legal analyst, for an Instagram Live on Sunday to break down the latest and answer your legal questions. We are making the conversation available as a podcast as well.
We discuss:
- The legal standard federal agents must meet before using deadly force and how video evidence is evaluated
- How DOJ typically investigates federal shootings and how the Trump Administration is changing precedent
- Whether legally carrying a firearm changes the use-of-force analysis
- Citizens’ rights to film federal agents, protest, and observe enforcement actions
- Qualified immunity and whether federal agents have broader protections than local police
- State-level investigations of federal agents and what legal options remain for families if DOJ declines to act
- Broader questions about accountability and systemic use of force in federal immigration operations
Mosheh Oinounou (@mosheh) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022.
