Following the killing of Alex Preti, a photo—altered by AI to enhance her appearance—made the rounds among protesters and some media outlets.
On January 24, Preti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse armed at the time, was shot dead by two federal agents in Minneapolis during an altercation with multiple police officers restraining her.
The International Service Employees Union, to which Preti belonged, shared a staff photo from the Veterans Affairs hospital in Minneapolis where she worked. This was made public on the same day protests erupted. Meanwhile, a modified version of the portrait, edited using AI, caught the eye and became the preferred image in the media.
The enhanced image made Preti appear significantly darker-skinned and altered many features, including her jawline, nose, and hairline. Some observers speculated that the intent behind the alteration was to make her seem more conventionally attractive.
Another widely circulated photo inaccurately depicted an agent pointing a gun at Preti’s head as she struggled to rise off the ground, but a missing head on one of the agents raised suspicions about its authenticity.
Senator Dick Durbin shared a graphic photo on the Senate floor, which he asserted depicted the shooting, demanding accountability from the Trump administration.
Before showing this photo, Durbin warned, “This is graphic, but you need to grasp the horror of that moment.”
Federal authorities claim Preti “violently resisted” arrest, but video evidence shows her struggling under several officers while clutching her phone. One officer reportedly used a chemical irritant against her before she was ultimately shot. Bystanders, horrified, pleaded for the officers to stop as the situation escalated.
In the wake of the incident, the involved Border Patrol agent was put on administrative leave, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller admitted that the officers might not have adhered to proper protocols during the shooting.
Additionally, another individual, Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother and poet, was killed earlier on January 7 in a confrontation with ICE agents in Minneapolis. After the death of Preti, Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino and some agents received orders to depart from Minneapolis. However, it should be noted that this directive did not apply to all Border Patrol personnel, nor did it extend to ICE agents.
