Kristi Noem dodges crucial questions about if Alex Pretti was disarmed before Border Patrol shot and killed him

Kristi Noem dodged key questions about the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, including whether she was unarmed before a Border Patrol agent killed her.

Pretti, 37, was shot and killed in broad daylight during a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Saturday.

The Secretary of Homeland Security claimed the officers “clearly feared for their lives” and fired defensively at Pretti, who “violently” resisted federal agents.

Federal authorities claimed the intensive care unit nurse was carrying a loaded Sig Sauer P320 9mm handgun, but video taken at the scene appears to show officers disarming her before gunshots were heard.

Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy probed Noem about the protocol for using deadly force on an unarmed person, but Noem apparently dismissed his question.

‘It’s all part of this investigation. Each video will be analyzed. Everything will be looked at,” he said during an appearance on the Sunday Briefing.

‘Part of the answer is, I can’t speak to every single thing these officers were thinking, but it happened in seconds. ‘They clearly feared for their lives and took action to defend themselves and the people around them.’

Noem, a MAGA Republican, also pointed to bystander video in which someone yelled “gun, gun, gun” and claimed federal officers “reacted to that.”

But he did not acknowledge that it was unclear whether the statement heard on camera was a reference to Pretti’s alleged gun or a federal agent’s gun.

Alex Pretti, 37, was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent during an operation against immigrants in Minneapolis on Saturday.

During Saturday’s incident, Pretti was pepper sprayed and shot by federal agents.

Noem had previously claimed that Pretti, an intensive care nurse who was protesting President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigrants in Minneapolis, came on Saturday to “obstruct a law enforcement operation.”

The DHS Secretary questioned why Pretti was armed, but did not elaborate on whether he pulled the gun or brandished it at officers.

Noem also previously blamed the attack on Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, two of Minnesota’s most senior Democratic lawmakers.

‘Our law enforcement officers are doing their best to protect the public. “We pray for the loved ones, family and friends of the deceased, but we also recognize that the governor of Minnesota and Minneapolis needs to take a long look in the mirror,” he said at a news conference on Saturday.

‘They need to evaluate their rhetoric, their speech, their encouragement of this type of violence against our citizens and law enforcement.’

Minneapolis police said Pretti had no serious criminal history and was a legal gun owner with a valid permit.

The videos do not clearly show who fired the first shot, but a weapons expert said he believes Pretti’s Sig Sauer P320 went off, causing the agent to open fire.

Rob Dobar, attorney for the Minnesota Gun Owners Group, wrote to

Dobar’s analysis came after a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Trump administration from ‘destroying or altering evidence’ related to Pretti’s death. It has not been confirmed whether Pretti’s gun fired any shots.

Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy probed Noem about the protocol for using deadly force on an unarmed person, but Noem apparently dismissed his question. Noem said the officers “clearly feared for their lives and took action to defend themselves and the people around them.”

Federal authorities allege intensive care unit nurse was carrying this loaded Sig Sauer P320 9mm pistol

Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, was seen filming on the street with his phone as a small group confronted a federal agent. His other hand looked empty

Saturday’s deadly shooting sparked outrage from Americans. He condemned the incident as a case of excessive force by untrained federal officers. But the Trump administration says the incident was a case of an armed man inciting violence.

Multiple eyewitness videos show a Border Patrol agent shooting and killing Pretti after a fight of about 30 seconds around 9 a.m. Saturday.

The videos appear to contradict statements from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which stated that the shots were fired ‘defensively’ because he ‘approached’ Pretti with a gun.

In the videos, Pretti can be seen holding only a phone. None of the footage shows him with a gun.

During the struggle, agents noticed the man was carrying a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun and fired several shots.

Federal officials did not identify the agent but confirmed the agent’s identity. The officer who shot Pretti is an eight-year Border Patrol veteran.

Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who oversees the administration’s major urban immigration campaign, said the officer who shot Pretti had extensive training as a range safety officer and in using less lethal force.

‘This is just the latest attack on law enforcement. “Across the country, DHS men and women have been attacked and shot at,” he said.

Pretti appears to be talking or filming while holding his phone as he contacts federal agents

Pretti is seen holding a shiny shiny object during a struggle with federal agents

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who said he watched one of the videos of the incident, said he saw ‘more than six masked agents beating and shooting one of our voters to death.’

Frey, Minneapolis and St. He said Paul was ‘invaded’ by the administration’s largest immigration raid, called Operation Metro Surge.

Noem said Pretti attacked the officers, and Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said Pretti wanted to ‘inflict maximum harm and decimate law enforcement officers.’

Stephen Miller, President Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff, called Pretti a “future assassin” in his posts about X.

The shooting occurred just weeks after 37-year-old Renee Good was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer less than a mile away on January 7.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the attack “horrific” and demanded that state officials lead the investigation into Pretti’s death.

‘The federal government cannot be trusted to conduct this investigation. “The state will handle this, period,” Walz said at a news conference.

He called for an end to Trump’s federal operation in his state and activated the Minnesota National Guard amid rising tensions and protests.

Police officers are seen kneeling next to Pretti after he was shot moments earlier

When police officers intervened, Pretti was seen trying to help a woman lying on the ground.

Frey also called on Trump to end his immigration crackdown, which has sometimes sparked violent demonstrations.

‘This is the time to act like a leader. Put Minneapolis, put America first right now –– let’s have peace. “Let’s end this operation,” Frey said at a news conference.

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy also criticized the officers’ actions, writing about X: ‘The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing. ‘The credibility of ICE and DHS is at stake.’

‘There should be a full federal and state investigation. ‘We can trust the American people with the truth.’

State and city officials filed lawsuits Saturday against DHS, ICE, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), as well as their respective leaders, in connection with Pretti’s shooting.