Trump Shares Photo of 'Minnesota Shooting Victim's' Firearm on Social Media and Makes Statement

"It was loaded and ready to fire," Trump defends federal agent
Criticism directed at Democratic governor and mayor

On the 24th (local time) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a 37-year-old man was shot and killed by federal agents. President Donald Trump of the United States highlighted the agent's self-defense by posting a photo of the firearm carried by the man.

On this day, President Trump posted a photo of the firearm and its magazines on the social networking service Truth Social, stating, "This is the gun of the person who possessed the firearm," and "It was loaded (with two additional fully loaded magazines) and ready to fire." President Trump's remarks emphasized the fact that the deceased was armed at the time of the incident.

A handgun carried by the deceased, released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on the 24th (local time). Screenshot from X of the Department of Homeland Security

The deceased was identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretty, a 37-year-old nurse for veterans living in southern Minneapolis, originally from Illinois and a U.S. citizen. He reportedly had no serious criminal record other than minor offenses such as parking violations. Pretty's father told the Associated Press that his son had participated in protests out of anger over federal immigration enforcement. The bereaved family also said that Pretty had a permit to carry a firearm but had never seen him actually carry one.

President Trump further questioned, "What's going on? Where are the local police? Why weren't they allowed to protect the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents? Did the mayor and governor pull them out?" He added, "Many local police officers were not allowed to do their work, and ICE had to protect themselves. This is not an easy thing to do." These remarks were aimed at Jacob Frey, the Democratic mayor of Minneapolis, and Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota. Governor Walz ran as the Democratic vice presidential candidate in the 2024 presidential election, which President Trump won.

President Trump also criticized those suspected of federal grant fraud, saying, "The scammers who stole money will go to jail," and "This is no different from a large-scale bank robbery." He further claimed, "Much of what you are witnessing is an attempt to cover up this theft and fraud. The mayor and governor are inciting insurrection with their arrogant, dangerous, and reckless investigations."

On the 24th (local time), Alex Jeffrey Pretty is confronting federal immigration enforcement agents. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, another fatal shooting involving a federal immigration enforcement agent occurred just 17 days after the death of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who was shot by an ICE agent on the 7th. The two incidents occurred less than one mile (about 1.6 kilometers) apart. In the area, protests continue daily against the federal government's large-scale crackdown on illegal immigration and investigations into alleged federal grant fraud and embezzlement.

Video footage released by the local Minnesota newspaper, the Star Tribune, shows several agents subduing Pretty before firing shots. Eyewitnesses at the scene said he suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the chest. The Department of Homeland Security explained on X (formerly Twitter) that Pretty approached a Border Patrol agent conducting immigration enforcement at the time, carrying a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and two magazines. The agency stated, "The agents attempted to disarm him, but he resisted violently, prompting defensive gunfire," and added, "Immediate emergency aid was provided, but he died at the scene." Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol chief leading the operation in Minnesota, reported that the federal agent who fired the fatal shots was an eight-year veteran of the Border Patrol.