Two Dead in Minnesota Over Three Weeks as Pressure Mounts on Trump Administration | WPN World People News

U.S. federal immigration enforcement officers fatally shot a man in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on the 24th, marking the second incident in recent days in which a civilian has been killed by law enforcement gunfire in the city. The shooting has sparked strong backlash from state officials and triggered a new wave of protests. The Trump administration is facing mounting pressure over its large-scale immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the man who was shot approached U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) officers while carrying a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and “violently resisted” when officers attempted to disarm him. The victim was identified as 37-year-old Preti, an intensive care unit nurse with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Less than three weeks earlier, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good, a mother of three, during an immigration sweep while she was inside her vehicle. As in the aftermath of Good’s killing, the Trump administration immediately claimed that Preti attempted to harm federal agents and falsely stated that a handgun was found on him.

This marks the second U.S. citizen killed by federal agents, with cellphone footage contradicting the official account of the incident. Reuters verified and reviewed the video, finding that Preti was holding a mobile phone and that no footage shows him brandishing a firearm. After chemical irritants were sprayed into Preti’s face and he was forced to the ground, federal agents fired approximately 10 shots at him. Preti never drew a weapon.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned the shooting as abnormal and shocking, calling for a state-led investigation. Preti’s parents issued a statement on the 24th accusing the government of spreading “disgusting lies” about their son.

Walz said that Preti was someone who dedicated his work to caring for veterans — a valued colleague who lived fully in the state, whether enjoying outdoor activities or exercising his First Amendment rights by witnessing what ICE was doing in Minnesota. As stark discrepancies emerged between the official account and the video evidence, residents braved freezing temperatures to protest in the streets, demanding justice for Preti. Officials, however, stressed that enforcement operations would continue uninterrupted, creating a sharp contrast with the growing public outrage.