Asher Notheis

Washington Examiner

Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino defended law enforcement agents on Sunday after an agent shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday.

The agent shot Pretti on Saturday after the Department of Homeland Security said Pretti approached agents armed with a handgun, though video reviewed by the Washington Examiner shows Pretti holding his cellphone as he tries to intervene with a federal agent pushing a woman to the ground. Five agents attempt to subdue Pretti, and one of them removes Pretti’s firearm from the scene before another agent shoots Pretti multiple times.

It marked the second deadly shooting amid the Trump administration’s immigration operation in Minneapolis after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer killed 37-year-old Renee Good on Jan. 7.

Bovino addressed the Pretti shooting on Sunday and said Pretti “decided to inject himself” into an act of law enforcement. He added that the shooting will be investigated.

“In fact, I believe that the fantastic training that our law enforcement partners have, the fact that they‘re highly trained, prevented any specific shootings of law enforcement. So good job for our law enforcement in taking him down before he was able to do that. And again, Dana, let‘s look at why he was there in the first place,” Bovino said on CNN’s State of the Union.

Bovino then speculated that Pretti had been at the riot for “a reason,” questioning if Pretti “fell victim to that violent and heated rhetoric” from Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. He also said he respects Pretti’s Second Amendment rights but that these rights “don’t count” when one chooses to “impede law enforcement officers.”

“When you show up to an active crime scene, don‘t leave the crime scene and you‘re armed, then you know, you‘ve got to the decision-making process for that individual doesn‘t seem to be very good,” Bovino said.

Following the shooting, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) vowed to block the appropriations bill funding the government if the funding bill for DHS is not amended. The deadline to pass the remaining funding bills is Jan. 30.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) reposted Schumer’s statement on X regarding his decision, calling it “reckless” and “very disappointing.” He also said he will demand a vote on his legislation to “end the practice of sanctuary states and cities forever in America next week.”