Pretti Family Demands DOJ Findings Nine Months After Fatal Shooting

Nine months after federal immigration agents fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, his parents are demanding answers from the U.S. Department of Justice, accusing federal officials of withholding investigative findings and violating their rights under federal victims' rights law. Michael and Susan Pretti made their first public appearance since their 37-year-old son died on January 24, 2026, alongside attorney Steve Schleicher, as state investigators continue seeking access to evidence.

The family says federal authorities have failed to provide substantive updates despite months of requests. In a July letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche, their attorney challenged the department's handling of communications with the family and demanded greater transparency, according to reporting by ABC7 New York.

The letter described the department's conduct as "cruel."

The attorney also challenged the government's approach to the investigation, writing in the letter, "The government's pattern of conduct is not only unconscionable, but unlawful," according to the document obtained by CNN.

The family met with U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Dan Rosen on July 13. That same day, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced that federal officials had transferred substantial evidence to local authorities. The family's letter says Rosen declined to provide information or confirm the evidence-sharing arrangement.

The letter described the personal impact of those refusals: "It is impossible to convey how the government's refusal to engage in transparent communication with the Pretti family has compounded their heartbreak," according to the document.

It also criticized Rosen's refusal to explain why information could not be shared, stating, "Further, with each such refusal, U.S. Attorney Rosen even refused to explain the basis for his position, instead stating only that 'I can't tell you for all kinds of reasons,' without providing a single one," the letter said.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who is leading a lawsuit against the Justice Department, said federal investigators had stopped cooperating after initially agreeing to share evidence with state authorities. He told CNN that the state was seeking the remaining investigative materials through litigation.

Ellison described the dispute over access to evidence, saying, "We are in litigation with the federal government right now to secure the rest of the remaining file, which they could give us this morning if they were inclined to do so, but it looks like we're going to need a court order. I'm sorry that it comes to that," he told CNN's Sara Sidner.

He emphasized that prosecutors need a complete evidentiary record to evaluate a case, adding, "Any prosecutor can tell you you can't go forward with half a file. You need the whole thing."

According to court records filed October 13, federal authorities stopped sharing information several weeks after an evidence-sharing agreement was finalized in June. The withheld materials include the weapons involved in the shooting, including the firearm Pretti carried, as well as other evidence sought by local investigators.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was initially denied access to the shooting scene on the day Pretti died, according to ABC7 New York. State investigators subsequently obtained access under a court order. Local and state authorities have pursued legal action to obtain additional evidence from the federal government.

Video of the fatal encounter has also raised questions about initial federal accounts. Then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem initially characterized Pretti as a "terrorist" who "attacked" officers after "brandishing" a weapon. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called him an "assassin" who attempted to kill federal agents. The video challenged those initial descriptions.

Footage shows agents confronting people on a Minneapolis street before Pretti intervened in a physical confrontation involving an observer and federal officers. Pretti was pepper-sprayed, and an officer can be heard shouting, "Gun! Gun! Gun!" as Pretti kneels and bends forward.

The video shows an agent removing a firearm from Pretti's waistband and moving away from the confrontation. Another officer draws a weapon and appears to fire, followed by additional shots from another agent. At least 10 gunshots are audible in the footage, according to ABC7 New York.

A Department of Homeland Security report on the initial investigation says an officer repeatedly shouted, "He's got a gun" before agents fired. A January report cited by FOX 9 also raised the possibility that an agent accidentally discharged Pretti's firearm after disarming him, prompting other officers to believe they were under fire.

Government records obtained by ProPublica identified the agents involved as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa, 43, and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez, 35. No charges had been filed against the agents as of the October 27 reports, while Minnesota prosecutors continued assessing the available evidence.

Schleicher acknowledged the importance of a thorough investigation but questioned the prolonged lack of cooperation. He said, "I understand and respect that investigations take time, and that's important. It's important to the integrity of those investigations that they be conducted in a thorough and deliberate manner, but this nine months of silence and stonewalling," according to KSTP.

He then questioned the delay in transferring evidence to other agencies, asking, "Why would it take nine months for the federal government to share the evidence that it has with other law enforcement agencies?"

Pretti's death followed the January 7 fatal shooting of Renee Good by an immigration agent and the January 14 nonfatal shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis during Operation Metro Surge. Both incidents contributed to protests in Minneapolis and elsewhere. Good's family has also filed civil lawsuits against the federal government and the agents involved in her death, according to FOX 9.

The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office for Minnesota had been contacted for comment, according to ABC7 New York and KSTP. Local authorities continued seeking the outstanding evidence as they considered whether criminal charges were warranted.