The death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti at the hands of federal immigration officers in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026, has taken on new dimensions following the emergence of video footage from an earlier confrontation. Recorded eleven days before the fatal shooting, the video captures a volatile encounter between Pretti and federal agents that has been independently verified as authentic, raising complex questions about the sequence of events leading to his death.
The footage first gained widespread attention when conservative political strategist Steve Guest shared it on his social media platform X, accompanied by a description that framed the incident as evidence of aggressive behavior toward law enforcement. Guest's post highlighted specific actions attributed to the man in the video, who he identified as resembling Pretti, including visible possession of a firearm, physical assault on officers, and property damage to a government vehicle.
As the video proliferated across digital platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Reddit, and Bluesky—it sparked immediate debate about its authenticity. Skeptical viewers questioned whether the recording was genuine or a sophisticated fabrication created using artificial intelligence tools that have become increasingly capable of generating realistic but false content. The timing of its release, coming just days after Pretti's death had already ignited community outrage, added to suspicions about its origins.
Digital forensic analysis conducted by multiple online detection platforms found no evidence of AI manipulation in the video files. The footage lacked the telltale artifacts, inconsistent lighting patterns, and pixel distortions that typically betray computer-generated content. Experts who examined the recordings noted natural motion blur, consistent shadows, and authentic audio quality that supported the conclusion that the video was captured by real cameras in real time.
Beyond technical verification, numerous visual indicators within the footage pointed to Pretti's identity. The individual displayed distinctive physical characteristics that matched known photographs of Pretti, including specific facial features and a recognizable beard style. Perhaps most compelling was the clothing worn by the man in the January 13 video, which appeared identical to garments Pretti was documented wearing on the day he was killed, creating a strong circumstantial link between the two events.
Legal confirmation from Pretti's family attorney, Steve Sleicher, provided definitive verification of the footage's authenticity. In statements to major news organizations such as The Associated Press and the Minnesota Star Tribune, Sleicher explicitly confirmed that the video showed his client. The attorney's acknowledgment eliminated any remaining doubt about whether the person in the recording was indeed Pretti, though it raised new questions about the implications of the earlier encounter.
Sleicher addressed these implications directly in a statement provided to media outlets, emphasizing that the January 13 incident could not justify the fatal shooting eleven days later. "A week before Alex was gunned down in the street – despite posing no threat to anyone – he was violently assaulted by a group of ICE agents," Sleicher wrote. "Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex's killing at the hands of ICE on Jan 24."
The attorney's carefully worded statement draws a clear line between the two incidents, acknowledging the earlier confrontation while asserting its legal irrelevance to the later use of deadly force. This distinction is crucial from a legal standpoint, as criminal procedure generally prohibits using prior bad acts to justify subsequent police action, particularly when the later incident involves different circumstances and threat assessments.
Multiple perspectives of the January 13 confrontation exist, with at least three separate bystander videos capturing the incident from different angles. This multiplicity of sources has allowed for a more comprehensive reconstruction of events than a single recording would permit. Each video underwent the same rigorous AI detection analysis, with none showing signs of digital alteration or manipulation.
The fatal shooting that claimed Pretti's life occurred under circumstances that remain partially unclear. Border Patrol officers discharged their weapons during an encounter with Pretti on January 24, resulting in his death. In the immediate aftermath, the officers involved were placed on administrative leave, a standard procedure in officer-involved shootings while the Department of Homeland Security conducts its investigation. News reports citing DHS sources have confirmed this leave status but have provided limited additional details.
A significant unanswered question concerns the identities of the federal personnel involved in both the January 13 confrontation and the January 24 shooting. It remains unknown whether any officers present during the earlier altercation were also involved in the later fatal encounter. This lack of transparency has complicated efforts to understand whether the two incidents were connected and whether prior interactions may have influenced decision-making during the shooting.
Community response in Minneapolis has been marked by protests and demands for greater accountability from federal immigration enforcement agencies. Local activists and civil rights organizations have seized on the verified footage as evidence of a pattern of aggressive interactions between Pretti and law enforcement, though they echo the family's position that the earlier incident does not justify the fatal outcome.
The case has drawn attention to the broader issue of immigration enforcement operations in cities far from border regions. Minneapolis, situated in the northern United States hundreds of miles from any international border, has become an increasingly common location for ICE and Border Patrol activities, raising questions about jurisdiction, community policing, and the appropriate use of federal resources.
Legal experts consulted on the case emphasize that even if the January 13 footage shows Pretti engaging in criminal behavior toward officers, this prior conduct has limited bearing on the legality of the January 24 shooting. The constitutional standard for use of deadly force depends on whether an officer reasonably perceives an immediate threat at the moment force is used, not on a subject's prior conduct or character.
Investigative transparency remains a central concern for Pretti's family and their legal representatives. The refusal of federal agencies to release the names of officers involved in either incident has created barriers to independent investigation and has fueled community distrust. Civil rights advocates argue that public disclosure is essential for accountability, while law enforcement officials cite privacy concerns and ongoing investigations as reasons for confidentiality.
The verified footage, once dismissed by some as potentially fabricated, now serves as an official part of the narrative preceding Pretti's death. It documents a confrontation that, while potentially legally and morally problematic in its own right, occurred days before the fatal encounter and under different circumstances. The family's legal team continues to argue that the shooting was unjustified regardless of the earlier events, maintaining that Pretti posed no immediate threat when he was killed.
As federal investigators continue their review of both incidents, the Minneapolis community remains divided over the implications of the footage. Some view it as evidence that complicates Pretti's portrayal as an innocent victim, while others see it as a distraction from what they consider an unjustified use of lethal force. What remains clear is that the verified video has added a layer of complexity to an already controversial case, raising difficult questions about policing, immigration enforcement, and the circumstances under which deadly force is deemed acceptable.
The investigation into Pretti's death continues, with the Department of Homeland Security overseeing the inquiry into the Border Patrol officers' actions. Meanwhile, the January 13 footage stands as a documented moment in the final days of a man whose death has become a flashpoint in ongoing debates about law enforcement accountability and immigration policy in America.