Report states that the nurse died from multiple gunshot wounds
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office, in the US city of Minneapolis, declared this Monday that the death of protester Alex Pretti by immigration agents was a homicide.
In a brief report, the Institute states that Pretti died on January 24th from multiple gunshot wounds and that the case is being treated as a homicide.
The report also states that the 37-year-old nurse was shot by federal agents during an anti-immigration police operation.
According to footage of the incident, several officers surrounded Pretti, restrained him and confiscated a gun before shooting him several times while he was on the ground.
Pretti’s death was the second such incident in less than three weeks in Minneapolis, Minnesota, following the death of Renee Good, a woman shot by an immigration agent on January 7.
As in Pretti’s case, the Institute of Legal Medicine considered the death of Good, also 37 years old, a homicide.
ProPublica reported last weekend that the agents who shot Pretti were Jesús Ochoa, from the Border Patrol (USBP), and Raymundo Gutiérrez, from Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the agents responsible for the nurse’s death have been suspended from their duties.
The Justice Department announced on Friday that it has launched an investigation into possible civil rights violations in this case, following a wave of intense protests in the city and calls for action from several lawmakers.
Last December, the Trump Administration launched the so-called “Metro Surge” operation, a series of raids to detain undocumented migrants in Minnesota, a state governed by Democrats.
The aggressive raids were condemned by local authorities and thousands of demonstrators, who have protested in recent weeks to demand the departure of Immigration and Customs Service (ICE) agents from that state.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered the withdrawal of federal agents from demonstrations in Minneapolis and other cities governed by Democrats, but promised that they will continue to defend federal government facilities.
“I have instructed the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, that under no circumstances will we participate in the protests or riots in several cities governed by Democrats, unless they request our assistance,” Donald Trump announced on his social network, Truth Social.
The head of state thus leaves the responsibility for ensuring security during protests and responding to possible disturbances in the hands of state governments and local authorities.
Faced with growing tension, Trump last week replaced the operations commander, sending his “border czar”, Tom Homan, to the area with a view to “appeasement”, despite having assured that the raids will continue.
