America's Split Screen Realities
Mike Allen Axios AM report
January 25, 2026
Within hours of the shooting, the Trump administration and Minnesota authorities provided wildly divergent narratives of the shooting.
Why it matters: Americans' understanding of this month's killings in Minnesota depends on which government they believe.
DHS posted this account on X at 12:31 p.m. ET.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller both accused Pretti of being a domestic terrorist and suggested he intended to harm agents with a gun.
Greg Bovino, the official in charge of Border Patrol agents deployed to Minnesota, said: "This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."
Videos from the scene appear to show that Pretti's gun wasn't drawn during the confrontation.
Crowd-control munitions were deployed on protesters in Minneapolis, near the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue, after federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti yesterday.
🎥 What we know: Video recordings appear to show Pretti filming the scene with a cell phone before attempting to help a woman who was shoved and pepper-sprayed by agents.
Several agents then wrestle him to the ground. As they're pinning him on the ground, at least one shot rings out.
At least one agent then appears to fire multiple shots toward the man as he lies on the ground.
January 25, 2026
Within hours of the shooting, the Trump administration and Minnesota authorities provided wildly divergent narratives of the shooting.
Why it matters: Americans' understanding of this month's killings in Minnesota depends on which government they believe.
DHS posted this account on X at 12:31 p.m. ET.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller both accused Pretti of being a domestic terrorist and suggested he intended to harm agents with a gun.
Greg Bovino, the official in charge of Border Patrol agents deployed to Minnesota, said: "This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."
Videos from the scene appear to show that Pretti's gun wasn't drawn during the confrontation.
Crowd-control munitions were deployed on protesters in Minneapolis, near the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue, after federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti yesterday.
🎥 What we know: Video recordings appear to show Pretti filming the scene with a cell phone before attempting to help a woman who was shoved and pepper-sprayed by agents.
Several agents then wrestle him to the ground. As they're pinning him on the ground, at least one shot rings out.
At least one agent then appears to fire multiple shots toward the man as he lies on the ground.
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