Federal Narrative Shifts in Minneapolis Protester Shooting: From 'Violent Riot' to 'Yelling and Whistles'

WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security has walked back its initial, inflammatory description of the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti by Customs and Border Protection personnel last Saturday. After days of maintaining that agents faced a "violent riot," an internal report now describes the immediate threat as "several civilians" who were "yelling and blowing whistles." This stark revision undermines the early official narrative and intensifies scrutiny over the agents' decision to use lethal force.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and other officials painted a picture of chaos and targeted violence. Pretti was labeled a "gunman" and "would-be assassin" intent on massacring law enforcement. However, multiple bystander videos, photographs, and eyewitness accounts—corroborated by a CBP Office of Professional Responsibility report obtained by Congress—tell a different story. The footage shows Pretti, a legal gun owner with a carry permit, never drew his weapon during the encounter; the pistol remained holstered until removed by an agent after he was shot.

The OPR report details that the confrontation began when a CBP officer attempted to move two women blowing whistles out of a roadway. After one was pushed to the ground, Pretti intervened. The officer then pepper-sprayed both Pretti and the woman before agents attempted to physically restrain Pretti. The report states a struggle ensued, agents shouted "He's got a gun!" and seconds later, two agents opened fire. Crucially, the report omits that Pretti was already disarmed and restrained when the shooting began, and that one agent fired four rounds into his back at close range.

The White House has distanced itself from the most extreme claims. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who initially called Pretti a "domestic terrorist," now says he relied on "reports from CBP on the ground." President Trump, while calling the shooting "tragic," has focused criticism on Pretti's decision to carry a firearm to a protest.

The shifting accounts are not isolated. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, who repeatedly called the event a "riot" in media interviews, has a documented history of misrepresenting threats from protesters. A federal judge last year noted he "admitted that he lied" about being struck by a rock before using tear gas on a crowd in a previous incident.

This pattern raises profound doubts about the credibility of the agency's ongoing investigation into Pretti's death. The gap between the dramatic "violent riot" rhetoric and the mundane "yelling and whistles" reality suggests a rushed effort to justify a deadly outcome that the available evidence does not support.

Voices & Reaction

Marcus Johnson, Legal Analyst & Former Federal Prosecutor: "The evolving narrative is a textbook example of damage control. The initial claims of a riot and an assassin were legally expedient but factually thin. The OPR report, while still incomplete, forces a recalibration. The core question remains: was this a proportional, necessary use of force? The revised description of the environment makes it much harder to argue that it was."

Rebecca Shaw, Community Organizer in Minneapolis: "We saw the videos. We knew it wasn't a riot. This 'retreat' isn't transparency—it's them getting caught in a lie. Alex was trying to help someone who was knocked down. To go from calling him a terrorist to just a guy with a gun is still a dehumanizing smear campaign to deflect from the fact that agents executed a restrained man."

David Chen, Policy Director at a Second Amendment Advocacy Group: "The focus has dangerously shifted from the agents' actions to Pretti's lawful carry. Officials are essentially arguing that exercising a constitutional right at a protest negates your other rights and justifies a death sentence. That's a terrifying precedent for every lawful gun owner and protester in America."

Captain Lisa Rodriguez (Ret.), Law Enforcement Use-of-Force Instructor: "The tactical breakdown here is alarming. Yelling and whistles are not a justification for deadly force. If the threat was so minimal they've had to rewrite their description of the scene, then the decision to shoot—especially at a restrained individual—demands the highest level of accountability. This erodes public trust in all federal law enforcement."