State and federal officials exchange blame for events leading to Alex Pretti's shooting

Former Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns said he stands with the state after the fatal shootings of Pretti and Renee Good this month and called for people to reflect “on what our values truly are.” 

Towns, a center-forward for the New York Knicks, said on X that the events in Minnesota are “heartbreaking to witness.”

“These events have cost lives and shaken families — and we must call for accountability, transparency, and protections for all people,” he said. “This moment demands that we reflect honestly on what our values truly are.”

He offered his condolences to the families of Good and Pretti. 

Towns played for the Timberwolves from the 2015-16 season through the 2023-24 season before he joined the Knicks. He was named an NBA Western Conference All-Star for the fourth time in his career in 2024. 

Former President Bill Clinton issued a statement about what he described as "the horrible scenes playing out in Minneapolis and across America," which he said he "never thought would take place in America." Clinton called on people to "stand up" and "speak out."

"All of this is unacceptable and should have been avoided," Clinton wrote. "To make matters worse, at every turn, the people in charge have lied to us, told us not to believe what we've seen with our own eyes, and pushed increasingly aggressive and antagonistic tactics, including impeding investigations by local authorities."

"Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come. This is one of them," Clinton said.

"If we give our freedoms away after 250 years, we might never get them back."

Eight more Democrats signed on to a resolution to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in the wake of Pretti's killing, bringing the total number of co-sponsors to 120, said a spokesperson for the office of Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois.

Kelly’s impeachment resolution had 100 co-sponsors as of Tuesday, according to a news release, but the number spiked in recent days amid outcry over immigration enforcement practices as thousands of federal officers were deployed to Minnesota in what the administration has dubbed Operation Metro Surge.

“IMPEACH KRISTI NOEM,” the Democratic Party said Sunday on X.

The latest calls for Noem’s impeachment come as the Department of Homeland Security faces a fresh wave of scrutiny after two U.S. citizens were killed in Minneapolis.

Read the full story here.

WNBA player Breanna Stewart today posted a photo of herself on Instagram holding a sign that says “Abolish ICE.”

In the caption, Stewart said, “As a mother, nothing scares me more than seeing families torn apart, children traumatized, and parents living in fear of losing their loved ones.”

“Saying Abolish ICE is about advocating for policies that uplift families and strengthen communities, instead of fueling fear and violence,” Stewart wrote.

Chicago Sky player Angel Reese and WNBA trainer DJ Sackmann commented on the post, posting emojis in apparent support of Stewart’s message.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal today, Trump said his administration is “reviewing everything” about the Minneapolis shooting.

Trump, in his first published interview since Pretti was killed, declined to say whether the federal agent who shot Pretti acted appropriately, saying his administration was “looking” and “reviewing everything and we will come out with a determination.”

Trump asserted that Pretti was carrying “a very dangerous gun” and crticized the victim for having a gun at a protest. 

At least four videos appear to contradict the administration’s account that Pretti was holding a weapon during the skirmish leading up to his death.

Trump added that immigration enforcement officials will eventually leave the area but did not provide a timeline for their departure.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.

Political fallout grows after Minnesota shooting

01:59

Amid growing backlash from yesterday's shooting of Pretti, Trump plans to push forward with his immigration enforcement policy and is having ongoing discussions with aides on whether to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minneapolis, according to a senior White House official.

The official said Trump plans to continue to “demand” cooperation between local and federal law enforcement “even more than he’s already been asking for” in recent days. In Trump’s view, “the only reason this chaos and these tragic situations are happening is because locals have refused to work with the federal government and encouraging resistance, creating extremely difficult circumstances for law enforcement to operate in,” the official said. 

The official argued that “none of this is happening in states like Florida or Texas,” states run by Republicans where immigration enforcement operations have been ongoing.

Pretti's professional mentor during his undergraduate years at the University of Minnesota remembered him for his "positivity and goodwill."

Anja Katrin Bielinsk, who led the cancer research lab where Pretti worked as a technician, said he was always upbeat, even when experiments failed.

"The room would light up when he was around, because he was always in a good mood and always ready to help," she said.

Pretti graduated from the university's College of Liberal Arts in 2011, according to the school, which has extended its sympathies to Pretti's loved ones.

Pretti left the lab sometime the following year and told Bielinsky he was considering a career in nursing.

"I immediately thought that would be a great fit for him,” in part because he was skilled at “human-to-human interaction,” she said.

Pretti became a licensed nurse in Minnesota and was a nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, records and officials have said.

“He was so genuine in his desire to help people, and it is painful that this desire cost him his life," Bielinsky said. “What a tremendous loss for society.”

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins appeared in a post on X to focus blame for Pretti's death on "state and local officials' refusal to cooperate with the federal government to enforce the law and deport dangerous illegal criminals."

He also confirmed Pretti was a nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center and offered condolences to his family.

"As President Trump has said, nobody wants to see chaos and death in American cities, and we send our condolences to the Pretti family," Collins wrote.

Eyewitness videos show at least one federal agent shooting and killing Pretti.

The law firm representing Renee Good's family called for ICE personnel to leave Minneapolis, calling their presence "an invasion of this beautiful American city."

In the statement, attorney Antonio Romanucci referred to the killing of Pretti, calling him “yet another U.S. citizen losing their life while taking art in the time-honored and Constitutionally protected activity of being present to observe and peacefully advocate for their beliefs.”

"We urge all Americans to trust their own eyes as they interpret the horrific video, and to call for an absolute end to ICE activity in Minneapolis," wrote Romanucci, a founding partner at Romanucci & Blandin.

"It has clearly gone too far and strayed far beyond its stated mission of removing criminal non-citizens from the country. It is time for a hard reset. ICE agents can leave Minneapolis," he said.

In a Truth Social post, Trump blamed Democratic local leaders for the unrest in Minneapolis, claiming his administration is undertaking a “Deportation effort,” which he said is obstructed in “Democrat run Sanctuary Cities and States.”

“Tragically, two American Citizens have lost their lives as a result of this Democrat ensued chaos,” Trump wrote.

In a related post continuing his thought, Trump called on Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and “EVERY Democrat Governor and Mayor in the United States to formally cooperate with the Trump administration to enforce our Nation’s laws, rather than resist and stoke the flames of Division, Chaos, and Violence.”

He further called on Congress to pass legislation ending so-called sanctuary cities, which he called “the root cause of all of these problems.”

The NBA Players Association said that "NBA players can no longer remain silent" following the fatal shooting of Pretti.

"Now more than ever, we must defend the right to freedom of speech and stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota protesting and risking their lives to demand justice," the association said in a statement.

The union of NBA players said its members extend condolences to the families of Pretti and Renee Good and that, like the U.S., it is a "community enriched by its global citizens" that refuses to "let the flames of division threaten the civil liberties that are meant to protect us all."

Sports franchises in the state — the Vikings, the Wild, the Timberwolves, the Lynx and Minnesota United FC — have all signed an open letter calling for officials to work on an “immediate deescalation of tension."

The NBA also postponed a game scheduled for yesterday between the Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis "to prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community."

Carolyn Wiger, a former star of reality game show "The Traitors" who lives in Minnesota, was among the mourners at the site of Pretti's killing.

She and a friend held a sign that said "STOP Justifying This."

"This is terrifying," Wiger said of Pretti's killing. "How are we doing this to other humans? It just keeps getting worse and worse, and it feels helpless."

Alex Pretti was the type of person who got along with everyone and a team player who chose to work with veterans because he thought they were a particularly vulnerable population of patients, his former colleague Dr. Aasma Shaukat told NBC News.

Shaukat worked with Pretti at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, where he was initially hired in 2014 as a research assistant, she said. Pretti spent six years being trained on the job, enrolling patients and conducting interviews, she said.

"I think he was always looking for opportunities to help," Shaukat said. "He would always hold the elevator for someone getting in or help someone who looked lost in the hospital find their way. He had a strong sense of duty.”

Shaukat wrote Pretti a letter of support when he expressed interest in nursing, and he returned to the VA hospital once he finished nursing school. They spoke over the summer, she recalled, saying Pretti seemed to be in a good place.

Shaukat said she was completely shocked to learn that Pretti was fatally shot yesterday. She said she knew him to be a young and passionate person, and she recalled that he participated in protests after a police officer killed George Floyd in 2020.

"He did have a strong sense of civic responsibility, and he was willing to stand up for things that he thought were wrong," Shaukat said, describing Pretti as a "good citizen."

Executives from 60 businesses based in Minnesota asked state officials and the White House in a joint statement to "work together to find real solutions."

The statement, released by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, addressed challenges that "created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life." It added that Minnesota business leaders have spoken the White House, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other officials over several weeks in an effort to move forward.

"In this difficult moment for our community, we call for peace and focused cooperation among local, state and federal leaders to achieve a swift and durable solution that enables families, businesses, our employees, and communities across Minnesota to resume our work to build a bright and prosperous future," the letter said.

Though the letter referred to yesterday's "tragic news," it did not specifically name Pretti or the surge of immigration operations in the state.

Chief executives from dozens of companies signed the letter, including Target, the Mayo Clinic, 3M, Best Buy, General Mills and the Minnesota Vikings.

Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino again pointed to a man named Jose Huerta-Chuma of Ecuador as the target of an immigration enforcement operation that ended with Pretti's fatal shooting.

In a graphic displayed at Bovino’s news conference this afternoon, Huerta-Chuma was depicted as having a criminal history that includes domestic assault, intentional implication of bodily harm and disorderly conduct.

But the Minnesota Department of Corrections said no one by that name has ever been in its custody, and public state court records show only misdemeanor-level traffic offenses from more than a decade ago and not the serious criminal history cited by federal officials.

“DOC records further indicate that an individual by this name was previously held in federal immigration custody in a local Minnesota jail in 2018, during President Trump’s first administration,” the department said in a news release yesterday. “Any decisions regarding release from federal custody at that time would have been made by federal authorities. DOC has no information explaining why this individual was released.”

Bovino used the example to argue that "choices made by politicians" and "weaker-minded constituents" are what brought federal agents to the city.

"Agitators, rioters and anarchists prevented us from taking this individual into custody," he said.

Special Report: Minnesota governor, Border Patrol officials speak after man killed by federal agents

02:51

Two very different news conferences unfolded simultaneously this afternoon: one from U.S. Border Patrol leadership and one from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. They painted starkly different pictures of recent events in the state.

On one screen, Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and other state officials framed the past few weeks as a crisis caused by an unprecedented federal immigration surge. Walz pointed to the two deaths in Minnesota and demanded answers from the White House: "What is the plan? What do we need to do to get these federal agents out of our state?"

"We believe in law and order in this state, we believe in peace, and we believe that Donald Trump needs to pull these 3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another person," Walz said.

At another news conference, Gregory Bovino of the Border Patrol presented a near-opposite narrative, one focused on law enforcement demands, public disorder and individual "choices" leading to "consequences." Bovino said the immigration mission in Minneapolis "continues unabated" despite what he called a "preventable" tragedy. He also pushed back against questions raised by circulating witness video as "speculation," arguing that an investigation will determine what happened. Another official at the briefing highlighted threats against agents, claiming a protester bit off part of an agent's finger.

"When they make the choice to vilify law enforcement — calling law enforcement names like 'Gestapo' or using the term 'kidnapping' — that is a choice that is made," Bovino said.

Within the growing crowd, people at the site where Pretti was killed are handing out water bottles, hand warmers and food.

Ann Cary, 58, spent the morning walking through the crowd handing out doughnuts.

"We're portrayed as these violent protesters, and this is very grassroots," she said. "We're protecting people who live here. We're protecting our neighbors and observers."

Randi, 75, and Philip Reitan, 77, braced subzero temperatures to lay a candle for Alex Pretti at the site where he was killed yesterday.

Randi, a former teacher and attorney, said the past few weeks have been nothing like what she and her husband ever imagined for their retirement.

"We’ve never had men, masked men, running around with weapons terrorizing the country like this," Randi Reitan said. "This is absolutely horrendous."

Philip Reitan said he was worried for the couple's eight grandchildren.

"We're going to lose our country. We're going to lose our status in the world. We're going to lose our humanity," he said. "We're not going to leave the next generation the shiny beacon we need to leave them."

Randi and Philip Reitan.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz condemned federal officials for "sullying" Pretti's name after immigration agents shot and killed him yesterday, describing Pretti as a lawful firearm owner who was "beloved" by his community.

Walz accused the Trump administration of closing a crime scene and "sweeping away the evidence" in the fatal shooting yesterday all while denigrating Pretti. Walz asked that people overcome political bias and recognize what he described as "basic human decency."

"This is an inflection point, America," Walz said. "If we cannot all agree that the smearing of an American citizen and besmirching everything they stood for and asking us not to believe what we saw, I don't know what to tell you."

The federal immigration agents who were at the scene of Pretti's shooting in Minneapolis yesterday are still working and are not on administrative leave, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino told reporters this afternoon.

The agents are no longer operating in the Minneapolis area, Bovino said, adding that they were moved out of fear that they would be doxxed.

Pressed to respond to details of the shooting — including videos that appear to show that Pretti did not have a gun in his hand and how many times he was shot — Bovino declined to go into those details.

"The investigation is going to uncover all those facts, things like how many shots were fired, where were the weapons," he said. "Those are the facts that will come out of the investigation."

Speaking at a news conference alongside Marcos Charles, ICE's acting executive associate director for enforcement and removal operations, Bovino said the agents were pursuing Jose Huerta Chuma, an Ecuadorian national wanted on allegations of domestic assault, intentional implication of bodily harm and disorderly conduct.

"Agitators, rioters and anarchists prevented us from taking this individual into custody," Bovino said. He added, "Our Title 8 immigration mission continues unabated here in Minneapolis, despite yesterday’s tragedy that was preventable by folks making better choices."

Reporters push Border Patrol's Bovino on Trump administration’s description of Pretti shooting

03:42

In the aftermath of yesterday’s shooting, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign and for Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino to be fired.

Hochul said Noem “has proven to be unable and unwilling to follow the law to stop these killings” and “lied about the shooting victims being the aggressors.”

“Kristi Noem has forfeited her right to lead, and I’m calling on her to resign as secretary of homeland security, or Donald Trump to do the right thing and just fire her. And if not, she must be removed or impeached,” Hochul said today.

DHS did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment.

She added that Bovino, who Hochul said has helped defend and escalate operations in Minnesota, should also be fired.

Hochul spoke about the Minneapolis shooting at the end of an emergency briefing about the winter storm that is gripping New York and more than 20 other states across the nation.

Hochul said yesterday’s shooting should “stop every American in their tracks,” adding that what’s unfolding in the country “shocks the conscience of every human being with a heart.”

She also slammed the federal government’s narrative that the killing was justified and that the agents acted in self-defense.

“Anyone who’s seen this horrific video — multiple videos — knows that this is a shameless, bold-faced lie,” Hochul said.

Federal officials denied Minnesota state investigators access to the scene of Pretti's shooting yesterday, which prompted legal action by the state, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said.

Despite investigators from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension obtaining a judicial warrant, they were still turned away, Ellison said. This is a continuation of the access problems that also affected the investigation into Renee Good's death earlier this month.

Early this morning, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to refrain from “destroying or altering evidence” in relation to Pretti's death after Minnesota state officials filed for a temporary restraining order. This was not a "rash decision," Ellison said today.

"The fact that anyone would ever think that an agent of the federal government might even think about doing such a thing was completely unforeseeable only a few weeks ago, but now this is what we have to do," Ellison said.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz addressed the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti this afternoon by saying that if President Donald Trump's goal was to make the state an example to others, Walz is "damn proud of the example that the world is seeing."

He went on to pose a question to the Americans watching: "What side do you want to be on?"

"On the side of an all-powerful federal government that can kill, injure, menace and kidnap its citizens off the streets?" Walz continued. "Or on the side of a nurse at the VA hospital who died bearing witness to such government, or the side of a mother whose last words were, 'I'm not mad at you.'"

People who voted for Trump or those who previously believed the operation in Minneapolis was a good idea are allowed to change their minds, the governor said. He asked them to put their politics aside and speak out.

"We're no longer having a political debate," Walz said. "We're having a moral debate."

'We're having a moral debate': Walz calls to put politics aside after Alex Pretti shooting

02:39

The crowd of mourners at the site of yesterday's killing has grown significantly in the last hour. What started as a small crowd of several dozen has swelled into the hundreds, as locals lay flowers, candles and placards for Pretti.

A group of nurses rallied a memorial site for Alex Pretti, chanting "All nurses want peace!" as fellow mourners gathered near the site of his killing.

Pretti was an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center.

Fiona Forbes, 28, a nurse at a local hospital, was at the memorial this afternoon. She criticized the immigration authorities who attempted to restrain Pretti yesterday, work she says nurses routinely do in hospitals.

"These untrained people are coming in, killing us, who safely manage these scenarios every single day," she said. "It's just a slap in the face."

Demonstrations remain calm one day later at site of Alex Pretti shooting

04:27

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama released a joint statement calling Pretti's killing "a heartbreaking tragedy" and said his death should be "a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault."

"Federal law enforcement and immigration agents have a tough job. But Americans expect them to carry out their duties in a lawful, accountable way, and to work with, rather than against, state and local officials to ensure public safety," the Obamas said. "That’s not what we’re seeing in Minnesota."

The Obamas criticized administration officials for seeming "eager to escalate the situation" and giving explanations "that appear to be directly contradicted by video evidence."

"This has to stop," they said.

Abigail Jackson, a spokesperson for the White House, accused Obama of trying to "exploit this moment to sow more division."

"Obama should join President Trump in urging local Democrat leaders — like Walz and Frey — to work with the Trump Administration to remove dangerous criminal illegal aliens from American communities," Jackson said, referring to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. "Instead, they are attacking law enforcement and defending criminal illegal aliens with additional convictions for murder, rape, assault, and more."

The Obamas also wrote that Americans "should support and draw inspiration from the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country."

Minneapolis has lifted vehicle restrictions in the area where Alex Pretti was fatally shot by a federal immigration agent yesterday, saying the roads are now open to traffic.

A mourner visits a memorial for Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Sunday at the site where he was shot dead. Octavio Jones / AFP via Getty Images

Police described activity in the area as "overwhelmingly calm and peaceful," with no arrests reported overnight. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also described last night's memorials for Pretti as peaceful as thousands gathered to honor the intensive care unit nurse.

"Let’s continue that collective effort today," Frey said.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said authorities are reviewing all available video of federal agents' encounter with Alex Pretti as part of the investigation. Federal officials, including the Department of Homeland Security, have said Pretti approached agents with a handgun before he was shot — a claim that bystander footage and witnesses have challenged.

Asked about the videos during an appearance on Fox News' "The Sunday Briefing," Noem said everything will be examined as part of the probe.

"Every video will be analyzed, everything will be looked at, and that's part of the answers that I can't speak to. ... But this happened in seconds," Noem said.

In the wake of Pretti's death, many have pointed out that Minnesota is a permit-to-carry state where lawful gun owners are allowed to carry concealed firearms. When asked if she would advise permit holders attending protests to leave their gun in their cars, Noem said that her message was people shouldn't "impede law enforcement operations."

Noem also addressed the possibility of President Donald Trump invoking the Insurrection Act, which would allow a president to use military force domestically, saying it was "on the table."

"He has the constitutional right to do that. He certainly has considered it. We've had discussions," Noem said. "We'll see what the best choice is to make sure that law and order is followed, but also that we're keeping people safe."

Two federal law enforcement sources tell NBC News that the Department of Homeland Security is taking the lead in the investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, with the Department of Justice and the FBI assisting.

Pretti was shot by an officer from U.S. Border Patrol, which is an agency under DHS. Normally, the FBI would take the lead in a DHS officer-involved shooting.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that she will not vote for Department of Homeland Security funding after the latest fatal shooting of an American by a federal agent in Minneapolis.

“When they’re killing two constituents in my state, and they’re taking 2-year-olds out of the arms of their mom, and they are taking an elder Hmong man out of his house and putting him out there in his underwear, and then figuring out they have the wrong man,” Klobuchar told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker, “no, I am not voting for this funding.”

Several other Democrats have announced that they would vote against DHS funding until restrictions on immigration enforcement operations are put in place.

The bill would need a handful of Democratic votes to pass, and the Senate is expected to consider the measure this week. If the appropriations bill does not pass, the government could enter a partial shutdown at the end of the month.

Read the full story here.

Amy Klobuchar says ICE is ‘making us less safe’ after another fatal MN shooting: Full interview

10:20

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., has challenged federal officials’ description of the events surrounding the killing of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti.

At least four different videos of the encounter — filmed by eyewitnesses and verified and analyzed by NBC News — shows him coming to the aid of a person federal agents pushed before the encounter. He is seen with a phone in his hand.

Shortly after the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said agents had acted in self-defense after Pretti “violently resisted.”

“When I hear the officials from the Trump administration describe this video in ways that simply aren’t true, I just keep thinking, your eyes don’t lie,” Klobuchar told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”

“Law enforcement is based on trust, and we have had a total breakdown of trust,” she added.

Klobuchar called for a “transparent” investigation into Pretti’s death and for ICE to leave the state.

“They are making us less safe, not more safe,” Klobuchar said.

In an overnight post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump praised former acting ICE Director Jonathan Fahey, who earlier hit out at state and local leaders in an interview with Fox News.

Fahey had singled out Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for criticism, accusing them of leading a “complete subversion effort” against law enforcement, “the likes of which we have not seen, probably, since the Civil War.”

Trump wrote: “Jonathan Fahey, former ICE Director, is fantastic on FoxNews in explaining the motives behind the fraudsters and insurrectionists in Minnesota.”

Meanwhile, in a post on X, Vice President JD Vance said: “This level of engineered chaos is unique to Minneapolis. It is the direct consequence of far left agitators, working with local authorities.”

Wearing a respirator, Savannah Thissen, 26, said she was out protesting tonight because, like Pretti, she is a health care worker.

“In my industry of love and service, 90% of my co-workers and friends and family are immigrants, many of whom are nurses,” she said. “And today they have proven that they’re willing to execute health care workers, immigrants and innocent citizens all.”

Protester Savannah Thissen in Minneapolis on Saturday. Matt Lavietes

“I have to be here,” she added. “I don’t know how I could be at home.”

Thissen said that while a “sense of despair is creeping in” the city following its third shooting by federal law enforcement this month, “it’s important that we don’t feed that doom.”

“They’re going to kill some of us. But if we don’t risk our safety now and here, they will just keep killing us,” she said. “If we don’t stand here now, despite the back-to-back murders and more, they will keep taking.”

In the state of Minnesota’s lawsuit against the Trump administration over Operation Metro Surge, Minnesota Solicitor General Liz Kramer and Minneapolis officials have sent a letter to U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez urging her to provide the state with “urgent” emergency relief.

“Plaintiffs, and Plaintiffs’ communities, are in urgent need of a Court-ordered respite to the irreparable injuries Defendants continue to cause to the health, safety, education, and welfare of Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and indeed the entire State of Minnesota,” Kramer and her colleagues write. “This cannot continue. We need the Court to act to stop this Surge before yet another resident dies because of Operation Metro Surge.”

They’re asking Menendez to “put the parties back in their positions before the Surge began and to immediately prevent even further irreparable harms to Plaintiffs’ ability to protect the public health, welfare, safety, and education. This will allow the Court—with the status quo duly preserved—to then examine the facts and the law in due course to consider more durable relief.”

“The record before the Court is more than sufficient to justify this immediate relief: Plaintiffs have demonstrated ongoing, irreparable harm and established serious constitutional claims,” the letter says. “Every day that passes without Court intervention compounds these injuries and undermines the very rights this Court is charged to protect.”

A hearing on Minnesota’s initial motion for relief is set for Monday, having been scheduled well before Saturday’s events transpired.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., posted on social media yesterday that the “credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake” after the latest shooting in Minneapolis.

He called for a “full joint federal and state investigation,” adding, “We can trust the American people with the truth.”

Cassidy faces a primary challenge in his Senate race from Rep. Julia Letlow, who has Trump’s endorsement.

A federal judge in Minnesota early this morning blocked the Trump administration from “destroying or altering evidence” related to today’s fatal shooting of Pretti.

The ruling comes after Minnesota state officials filed a lawsuit in Minnesota’s U.S. district court against officials with the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies seeking a temporary restraining order that would prohibit federal officials from destroying evidence.

The lawsuit alleges evidence was taken from the scene of the shooting.

Judge Eric Tostrud’s order includes any “evidence that Defendants and those working on their behalf removed from the scene and/or evidence that Defendants have taken into their exclusive custody,” it states.

Alex Pretti’s parents said they are “heartbroken but also very angry” about the death of their son in Minneapolis yesterday.

“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,” Michael and Susan Pretti said in a statement released through the Minnesota DFL. “Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately he will not be with us to see his impact.”

They rejected an account of the shooting provided by the Department of Homeland Security, which has said a Border Patrol officer fired in self-defense after Pretti violently resisted their efforts to disarm him.

“Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs,” they said. “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.”

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

Eyewitness videos showing at least one federal agent shooting and killing Alex Pretti, 37, in Minneapolis appear to counter the Trump administration’s description of events, presenting two starkly different narratives.

Shortly after the shooting, federal officials said agents had acted in self-defense during a violent altercation Saturday morning. Pretti “approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, adding that officers “attempted to disarm” him and he “violently resisted.” President Donald Trump shared a picture of what he said was “the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go.” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said Pretti “tried to assassinate federal law enforcement.”

But at least four different videos of the encounter — filmed by eyewitnesses and verified and analyzed by NBC News — run counter to some of the administration’s statements. The videos do not appear to show Pretti holding a weapon during the skirmish that led to his death. The footage shows him coming to the aid of a person federal agents pushed before the encounter.

Read the full story here.