Alex Pretti’s cause of death confirmed by medical examiner – National

The killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse who was fatally shot by federal agents during a protest against  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s growing presence in Minneapolis, has been ruled a homicide, according to a medical examiner’s report published on Monday.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office determined that Pretti’s death was a “homicide” caused by “multiple gunshot wounds.”

Pretti’s fatal wounds occurred when he was “shot by law enforcement officer(s),” according to the report.

Pretti was shot and killed by Border Patrol officers on Jan. 24 in Minneapolis during a protest.

The Justice Department has opened a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting of Pretti, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Friday.

“We’re looking at everything that would shed light on what happened that day and in the days and weeks leading up to what happened,” Blanche said during a news conference.

“President Trump has said repeatedly, ‘Of course, this is something we’re going to investigate.’”

Steve Schleicher, a Minneapolis-based lawyer representing Pretti’s parents, said Friday that “the family’s focus is on a fair and impartial investigation that examines the facts around his murder.”

The Department of Homeland Security also said Friday that the FBI will lead the federal probe into Pretti’s death.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem first disclosed the shift in which agency was leading the investigation during a Fox News interview on Jan. 29. Her department previously said Homeland Security Investigations, a departmental unit, would head the investigation.

“We will continue to follow the investigation that the FBI is leading and giving them all the information that they need to bring that to conclusion, and make sure that the American people know the truth of the situation and how we can go forward and continue to protect the American people,” Noem said, speaking to Fox host Sean Hannity.

Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Homeland Security Investigations will support the FBI in the investigation. Separately, Customs and Border Protection, which is part of DHS, is doing its own internal investigation into the shooting, during which two officers opened fire on Pretti.

On Monday, Noem announced that every Homeland Security officer on the ground in Minneapolis, including ICE, will be immediately issued body-worn cameras.

Noem said the body-worn camera program is being expanded nationwide as funding becomes available.

“We will rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras to DHS law enforcement across the country,” Noem said in a social media post on X.

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The news of the body cameras comes as Minneapolis continues to be the site of intense scrutiny over the conduct of federal officers.

Pretti’s death followed the Jan. 7 death of Minneapolis resident Renee Good, a mother of three shot by an ICE officer.

A preliminary private autopsy found that the 37-year-old was shot at least three times, sustaining wounds to her head, arm and breast.Lawyers for Good’s family shared the results of the autopsy commissioned at the family’s request as part of the ongoing civil investigation into her death.

— With files from The Associated Press

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