A witness positioned inside a nearby residence during the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti on January 24, 2026, in Minneapolis has provided a chilling firsthand account of the incident’s most harrowing moment. The individual recounted freezing in place upon hearing Pretti’s agonized scream, an involuntary reaction that underscored the raw terror of the encounter between the 37-year-old intensive care nurse and federal agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
This testimony emerged amid intense scrutiny of the event, where Pretti was shot multiple times—reports indicate at least ten rounds fired in under five seconds—while pinned to the ground by several officers. Bystander videos and sworn statements from multiple observers consistently depict Pretti approaching agents without brandishing a weapon, initially filming the scene with his phone and intervening to assist a woman who had been shoved down and pepper-sprayed. Witnesses described Pretti placing an arm around the woman protectively before agents deployed chemical irritants, wrestled him to the pavement, and opened fire after one officer retrieved what authorities identified as Pretti’s concealed firearm from his waistband.
The witness’s revelation extends beyond the scream itself to explain the subsequent vandalism of Pretti’s vehicle. According to the account, the damage—described as deliberate smashing or breaking of parts of the car—stemmed from heightened chaos and frustration in the immediate aftermath. Some reports reference prior tensions, including a documented altercation eleven days earlier on January 13, where Pretti was filmed kicking and breaking a taillight on a federal vehicle during a separate confrontation with immigration officers, leading to a physical takedown. This earlier incident, captured on video and widely circulated, showed Pretti yelling expletives, spitting on the vehicle, and resisting briefly before being released. While not directly linked to the fatal shooting, it has fueled speculation about escalating animosity or patterns of interaction.
The resident’s frozen reaction to Pretti’s final cry highlights the psychological impact on those in proximity. Positioned close enough to hear the scream clearly yet separated by walls, the witness described an overwhelming sense of helplessness as gunfire erupted. This detail aligns with other bystander testimonies, including that of a physician who performed CPR on Pretti until emergency services arrived and a woman in a pink coat who recorded the sequence from her vehicle, later emphasizing Pretti’s calm demeanor and lack of threat prior to the escalation.
The vandalism revelation has intensified public debate over the sequence of events and accountability. Federal officials initially maintained that Pretti approached armed and posed an imminent danger, justifying the use of lethal force in self-defense. However, forensic audio analyses of bystander footage, court filings, and conflicting witness statements have challenged this narrative, pointing to Pretti’s hands being visible and away from his waist during key moments, with the firearm removed by an agent before shots were fired. The damaged vehicle—Pretti’s personal property—adds another layer, raising questions about post-incident conduct, potential retaliation, or uncontrolled crowd dynamics amid the confrontation.
Pretti, employed as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital serving veterans, was remembered by family, friends, and colleagues as compassionate and dedicated. His intervention that morning appeared rooted in a desire to aid an individual in distress during an immigration enforcement operation that had drawn observers and protesters. The witness’s account, combining visceral auditory memory with insight into the vehicle’s destruction, contributes to a growing body of evidence prompting federal investigations, administrative leave for involved agents, and calls for transparent review of body-worn camera footage and protocols.
This testimony serves as a stark reminder of the human cost in high-stakes encounters between civilians and law enforcement. The scream that halted the witness in their tracks encapsulates the sudden violence, while the explanation for the car’s damage illuminates peripheral chaos that often accompanies such tragedies. As inquiries continue, these details underscore the imperative for thorough examination to reconcile official accounts with independent observations and preserve public trust in institutional responses.
