Here is a detailed minute-by-minute timeline of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a federal agent in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026, based on verified video analysis compiled by ABC News and other reporting:
Minute-by-Minute Timeline of the Alex Pretti Shooting (Approximate Local Time)
8:58:11 a.m.
• At least three minutes before the first shot is fired, Alex Pretti is seen holding his phone and appears to be recording federal officers on Nicollet Avenue while they interact with other individuals.
8:58:22 a.m.
• A second federal officer carrying a pepper-spray canister approaches Pretti, who continues to hold up his phone.
8:58:29 a.m.
• One federal officer appears to push Pretti toward the sidewalk as agents continue interacting with civilians.
8:59:08–9:00:12 a.m.
• Pretti is repeatedly seen raising his phone toward officers during the ongoing confrontation, including while agents appear to be detaining another person and moving them into a vehicle.
9:00:21 a.m.
• Additional bystanders engage with the scene; officers speak with nearby civilians, and at least one passes a comment about traffic as vehicles move near the group.
9:00:41–9:00:54 a.m.
• A federal officer shouts at a nearby civilian and pushes them toward Pretti. Pretti appears to raise his hand, possibly in a nonthreatening gesture, but he is immediately pepper-sprayed, along with two other civilians.
9:00:56–9:01:02 a.m.
• The officer appears to pull Pretti further into the street, tugging him by the hood or collar, and at least three officers begin to hold him down while others surround him.
9:01:02–9:01:05 a.m.
• Multiple agents are on top of Pretti, pinning him to the ground. A bystander can be heard yelling that officers are using excessive force.
9:01:12–9:01:14 a.m.
• One agent draws his handgun, and another agent is seen holding a firearm that appears to have been taken from Pretti’s waistband during the struggle.
9:01:14 a.m.
• The first gunshot is fired. Agents step back as additional shots follow.
9:01:16–9:01:19 a.m.
• Within approximately three seconds after the first shot, multiple rounds are fired — a total of 10 shots in less than five seconds according to a forensic audio analysis. Pretti appears to collapse and go limp on the ground.
9:01:45 a.m.
• About 30 seconds after the initial shot, an officer approaches Pretti’s body. Medical statements indicate he sustained multiple gunshot wounds including in his back and chest.
9:02:28 a.m.
• Around one minute after the first shot, an agent is heard saying, “I got the gun. I got the gun,” referring to the firearm previously removed from Pretti during the confrontation.
After the Shooting
• Pretti was pronounced dead at the scene. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described the encounter as occurring during an enforcement operation and defended the use of force, while video evidence and eyewitness accounts have raised questions about that narrative.
