‘This is terrifying’ – Minneapolis locals stagger from another fatal shooting

At Calvary Baptist Church in Minneapolis, the doors opened and closed as community members sought shelter from the frigid temperatures on Sunday.

This 140-year-old establishment stands merely blocks from where Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was fatally shot by federal immigration agents during an altercation on Saturday morning.

Following the shooting, which marks the second instance in under a month of a US citizen being killed by agents in the area, the church has transformed into what locals refer to as a refuge from the turmoil and unpredictability beyond its walls.

There was no service scheduled on Sunday. Instead, volunteers and church staff like Ann Hotz, who works at the daycare facility, distributed coffee, snacks, and hand warmers to visitors.

Some individuals were heading to place flowers at a nearby memorial for Pretti, while others stopped by after participating in protests against the ongoing federal immigration enforcement actions in the area.

“Yesterday, I broke down,” Hotz told the BBC while helping carry boxes of water outside. “Today, I’m here to support my community and assist our neighbors as they honor Alex and grieve for him.”

“However, I must mention that the helpers are becoming quite weary,” she added. “This is draining, and we need a change.”

“This is the reality of America now,” Dean Caldwell-Tautges, the church administrator, remarked regarding the recent actions of federal immigration agents in his community.

Caldwell-Tautges, who was distributing whistles used to notify individuals of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, stated that aiding the community in this manner was “the Christian response”.

Minneapolis now finds itself at the center of the national immigration discourse for the second time this month. Renee Nicole Good, another Minnesota resident, was shot dead by an ICE agent on January 7.

Clips of both shootings quickly circulated on social media, sparking furious protests from those demanding an end to an immigration enforcement campaign that has placed thousands of agents on the city’s streets.

President Trump deployed agents to the Democrat-controlled state in December, committing to a large-scale deportation of undocumented individuals. This aggressive stance against illegal immigration was pivotal to his successful re-election campaign and enjoys support from many across the nation.

The administration has portrayed the Minneapolis operation as a public safety initiative aimed at removing criminals residing unlawfully in the US. Detractors caution that even those without criminal backgrounds, along with US citizens, are also being apprehended.

On Sunday, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump lauded the agents’ efforts while hinting that the operation may eventually come to a close, though he did not provide a timeline.

“At some point, we will withdraw,” Trump stated. “They have done an outstanding job.”

Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota has called on the president to immediately pull the agents out. “We believe Trump should withdraw his 3,000 untrained agents from Minnesota before they harm another American in the streets,” he declared on Sunday. Other local and state officials have echoed Walz’s sentiments.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asserted that the agents acted in self-defense after Pretti, who allegedly possessed a handgun, resisted their attempts to disarm him on Saturday.

Witnesses, local authorities, and the victim’s family have disputed that narrative, noting that Pretti was holding a phone, not a weapon. His parents have accused the government of disseminating “disturbing falsehoods” about the incident.

Throughout the weekend, numerous vigils took place across the city as residents aimed to pay tribute to and commemorate Pretti’s life.

At the location where he was shot in south Minneapolis, near the Calvary Baptist Church, mourners assembled at various times to lay flowers and light candles in his memory. One sign, inscribed in red paint and directed towards federal agents, read “stop killing us”.

Pege Miller, a lifelong resident of Minneapolis, aged 69, was among those who gathered on Sunday afternoon to protest against ICE and pay her respects to Pretti.

“I’m weary of protesting,” she remarked. “We can’t understand how this is occurring. Why are we allowing this to happen?”

“We’re living in a state of anxiety,” she added. “We’re uncertain about what will transpire next.”

A large crowd assembled for an unplanned protest in downtown later on Sunday. Many attendees voiced their frustration and sorrow regarding the immigration operation. Protesters chanted repeatedly: “No more Minnesota nice, Minneapolis will strike.”

Among those chanting was Felix Johnson, who stated he protested for the first time in his life a few weeks prior after seeing a video showing a young girl left in a car after her father was apprehended by ICE.

He held a sign that said “ICE out”, while numerous other placards in the crowd contained profanities aimed at immigration officials.

“I cannot fathom how they can come in and just start taking citizens and begin treating them like they’re less than human,” Johnson expressed.

Very few Minnesotans whom the BBC interviewed said they backed ICE operations, but multiple polls indicate around half of voters nationally support President Trump’s initiatives to deport individuals living in the US unlawfully.

Further surveys suggest voters are divided on Trump’s approach to enforcing immigration laws. One poll conducted by Politico shortly after the death of Renee Good this month indicated roughly half of Americans felt the mass deportation campaign was too severe.

At the protest in downtown Minneapolis on Sunday, a man displayed a sign reading “Veterans Against ICE”.

“I enlisted [in the military] to serve a nation that, while never perfect, was progressing and evolving,” he stated.

“I joined to uphold the values of freedom of this nation, and what we’re witnessing now is the exact opposite; this is not advancing freedom. It’s terrifying.”