New Evidence Shows Victim Was Disarmed ‘Before First Shot Was Fired’ in Latest Agent-Involved Killing

Independent investigative journalism outlet Bellingcat has published a comprehensive, frame-by-frame open-source analysis of the January 24 fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by Department of Homeland Security officers in Minneapolis.

The report concludes that synchronized video evidence from multiple angles appears to show the victim was disarmed several seconds before the first shot was fired — directly contradicting the official DHS narrative that Pretti was shot only after brandishing a deadly firearm and creating an immediate threat to agent safety.

Bellingcat’s team — renowned for its rigorous methodology in high-profile cases such as the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, chemical attacks in Syria, and the reconstruction of events in the Alexei Navalny poisoning — applied advanced open-source techniques to at least seven different bystander cellphone videos and partial body-worn camera fragments.

The analysis included precise frame-by-frame synchronization of multiple perspectives, audio waveform comparison to establish the exact sequence and timing of gunshots, shadow and reflection mapping to confirm spatial relationships between agents, Pretti, and the firearm as well asleep geolocation verification and timestamp alignment across sources.

The resulting timeline, presented with annotated stills, slow-motion clips, and overlaid audio waveforms, indicates that a concealed firearm was physically removed from Pretti’s waistband area and taken into an agent’s possession several seconds prior to the first audible gunshot.

At least ten shots were fired in total, with the majority occurring after a noticeable pause during which Pretti was already lying motionless on the ground. One sequence appears to show an agent retreating several steps while holding the removed firearm before additional rounds are discharged.

Bellingcat’s report states unequivocally: “Video of the shooting appears to show that a gun was taken from the man BEFORE THE FIRST shot was fired. Most of them are fired after a brief delay, when the man is already lying motionless on the ground.”

Bellingcat is gold standard

“Video of the shooting appears to show that a gun was taken from the man BEFORE THE FIRST shot was fired.”

“At least 10 shots being heard in total. Most of them are fired after a brief delay, when the man is already lying motionless on the ground.” pic.twitter.com/6itORp5Yta

— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) January 24, 2026

The analysis does not speculate on motive or intent but concludes that the visual and audio evidence “raises serious questions about the proportionality, necessity, and lawfulness of the force used,” and “undermines the claim of imminent deadly threat at the precise moment lethal force was initiated.”

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Official Narrative Against Emerging Evidence

DHS and ICE have consistently maintained that Pretti produced a firearm and pointed it toward agents, creating an immediate deadly threat that justified the use of lethal force in self-defense. The initial press release described the encounter as involving “an armed subject who posed an immediate threat to officer safety.”

No body-worn camera footage, vehicle dashcam video, or unredacted dispatch audio has been publicly released. The agency has declined to comment on Bellingcat’s specific findings while citing the ongoing internal review.

Legal expert Ryan Goodman, a professor at NYU School of Law and a prominent commentator on accountability issues involving federal law enforcement, amplified the Bellingcat analysis on social media Saturday morning, writing simply: “Bellingcat is gold standard.”

The Bellingcat report has dramatically intensified calls for immediate release of all body-worn camera footage, vehicle dashcam video, and unredacted dispatch audio as well as a fully independent federal investigation outside the DHS/ICE chain of command.

More so, it calls for suspension of the involved agents pending criminal and administrative review, and congressional hearings on current use-of-force protocols, identification requirements, and training standards for federal immigration enforcement personnel.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have both renewed demands for complete transparency and an external investigation. Frey stated: “If credible open-source analysis shows the official narrative is inconsistent with the evidence, we need full disclosure and independent review — now.”

Civil rights organizations, including the ACLU of Minnesota, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and the National Immigration Law Center, have described the Bellingcat findings as “devastating” and urged the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to open a pattern-or-practice investigation into ICE use of force in the state.

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Mounting Scrutiny of ICE Operations

The Pretti shooting is the latest in a series of high-profile agent-involved incidents since the launch of large-scale immigration enforcement operations under the current administration.

In January 7, the fatal shooting of U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. In January 9–10, video of agents dragging a disabled woman from her car during a raid and in January 15, an arrests of three staff members from a Mexican restaurant in Willmar hours after agents dined there. Also, multiple reports of U.S. citizens being detained or questioned without clear justification during routine traffic stops or street encounters.

Data from academic and journalistic sources continues to show a high percentage of arrests involving individuals with no criminal history, fueling accusations of profiling and overreach.

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The Bellingcat analysis has shifted the public conversation from isolated “mistakes” to questions of systemic accountability. In an era where virtually every high-profile use-of-force incident is captured on multiple civilian devices, official narratives are no longer accepted at face value — they are subjected to immediate, rigorous, and public dissection by independent investigators.

Whether the new evidence leads to criminal charges, policy reform, or simply deeper polarization remains uncertain. What is already clear is that the video record — and Bellingcat’s forensic reconstruction of it has made one fact difficult to dispute: according to the available open-source material, Alex Pretti was disarmed before the first shot was fired.

The implications of that timeline will continue to reverberate far beyond Minneapolis — through courtrooms, congressional hearings, public protests, and the national debate over federal law enforcement, use of force, transparency, and accountability in the age of mass deportation.

The Justice Department has not yet commented on whether it will review the Bellingcat findings or open its own investigation. For now, the evidence and the questions it raises — continues to dominate the national conversation.