Kristi Noem Refuses To Answer Whether ICE Disarmed Alex Pretti Before Fatally Shooting Him [View all]
Source: Huff Post
Jan 25, 2026, 05:40 PM EST | Updated 9 hours ago
After a reporter questioned Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Saturday about the gun the Trump administration claimed Alex Pretti “approached” ICE agents with in order to harm them, Noem skirted around giving a direct answer. While DHS has argued that Pretti was an armed man provoking violence, videos of the incident and sworn affidavits contradict DHS statements that the shots fired by Border Patrol agents were done so “defensively.”
In the clips that have been circulating online, none of the footage appears to show Pretti with a weapon — only a phone in his hand. Pretti, who was licensed to carry a concealed weapon, was shot several times by ICE agents Saturday after they discovered he was carrying a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, according to The Associated Press.
“Did the 37-year-old, who had a license to carry, did he brandish a gun?” the reporter asked Noem during a press conference on Saturday. “And at what point did law enforcement retrieve the gun? And also the magazines from him?” Avoiding answering directly, Noem replied, “This individual showed up to impede a law enforcement operation and assaulted our officers. They responded according to their training and took action to defend the officer’s life and those of the public around him.”
Telling the reporter that she doesn’t know of “any peaceful protester that shows up with a gun and ammunition rather than a sign,” she added, “This is a violent riot when you have someone showing up with weapons and are using them to assault law enforcement officers.” The reporter didn’t back down, pressing Noem for further clarification. “Video appears to show he’s disarmed before shots are fired, so I just want clarity on that,” she told Noem before also questioning why federal agents told the Minneapolis Police Department to leave the scene after the incident.
Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kristi-noem-alex-pretti-gun-protest_n_697649c9e4b031f3fa68b0fa?origin=home-latest-news-unit
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