Footage from the Minneapolis shooting highlights protester Alex Jeffrey Preti, who was seen with a gun. The man who fired the shots seemed to react to something that raised his alarm amid the turmoil.
It’s still a bit unclear what happened with Mr. Preti’s weapon—whether he was disarmed right after drawing it, if an officer took it from him, or if he was in the process of reaching for it when another agent was observed taking a gun from a man who was held down.
CNN analyzed the distressing video, showing one federal officer grabbing a firearm just moments before another officer shot Preti.
The gun appeared to be the same type carried by the 37-year-old during the chaos, as confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security, according to reports.
During the analysis, it became evident that as the unidentified agent reached for Preti’s waistband, officers shouted, “I have a gun.”
The officer responsible for the fatal shot was captured on video shooting the armed protester from very close range and then firing at least nine additional rounds into Preti’s body while he lay still on the ground.
Prior to this tragic event, footage showed Preti holding a cell phone while assisting a woman who had fallen due to the actions of immigration officers, who were also discharging tear gas at the crowd.
Follow coverage of the shooting death of a 37-year-old anti-ICE protester in Minneapolis
A considerable number of federal agents pushed him away from the woman and brought him to the ground. Preti appeared to struggle for a few seconds on all fours before an agent in a gray jacket seized the gun, just before the fatal gunshot was fired.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that Preti approached a U.S. Border Patrol agent who was involved in a “targeted” arrest while armed with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.
“Officers tried to disarm this individual, but the armed suspect reacted violently,” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem mentioned at a press conference. “Fearing for their lives and those of fellow officers, agents fired defensive shots. Medics were on scene promptly and attempted medical aid, but he was pronounced dead at the location.”
