1. United States
2. Letter

I am writing to demand immediate action regarding the fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident with no criminal record, who was killed by federal agents on Saturday morning. Video evidence from this incident reveals a deeply troubling sequence of events that contradicts the Department of Homeland Security's official account. The timeline documented in eyewitness footage shows Mr. Pretti was filming federal agents with his phone when an agent pepper-sprayed him in the face. Within seconds, seven agents surrounded and wrestled him to the ground. While Mr. Pretti was on his knees and restrained by multiple agents, one agent fired four shots at close range into his back. As Mr. Pretti lay motionless on the ground, agents fired six additional shots at him. In total, at least 10 shots were fired within five seconds at a man who was already subdued and collapsed. This directly contradicts DHS claims that Mr. Pretti approached agents with intent to "massacre" them and that agents fired "defensive shots." Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara confirmed Mr. Pretti was an American citizen with no criminal record who possessed a valid firearms permit. Under Minnesota law, citizens can legally carry a handgun in public with such a permit. Governor Tim Walz disputed federal claims that Mr. Pretti posed a threat, accusing federal officials of "spinning stories." The execution of a lawfully armed American citizen who was already restrained represents an unconscionable abuse of federal power. This was the second fatal shooting by federal agents in Minnesota in recent weeks, suggesting a pattern of excessive force that cannot be tolerated in American cities. I urge you to demand a full independent investigation into this shooting, support legislation to increase accountability for federal law enforcement, and publicly condemn these tactics. American citizens deserve protection from extrajudicial killings by their own government.