Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has strongly criticized the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old man by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis, sparking protests across Los Angeles.
“This morning we learned of yet another tragic shooting in Minneapolis at the hands of federal agents,” Bass said in a statement on Saturday. “This violence has to stop and the president must remove these armed, federal forces from Minneapolis and other American cities.”
The shooting of Alex Pretti marks the second death in Minneapolis this month involving U.S. immigration officers, following the January 7 killing of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three who was also shot multiple times by a federal agent during an enforcement action, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Bass referenced legal action she and other mayors are taking in federal court to “stop the Trump administration’s unconstitutional and unlawful deployment of federal agents in the Twin Cities.” She noted their amicus brief supports Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul’s lawsuit to end the militarized presence in their communities.
In response, the Los Angeles County Republican Party urged caution against rushing to judgment. “In the aftermath of any officer involved shooting, it’s important to figure out what happened, which often is not possible to ascertain immediately,” the party’s chairman said in a statement.
The shooting has triggered multiple protests across Los Angeles. On Saturday, approximately 200 to 300 protesters gathered at Olvera Street, where a banner read, “From Los Angeles to Minneapolis, stop ICE terror.” By Sunday, the demonstrations had grown, with protesters chanting “When the streets get hot, ICE melts” near the federal building downtown.
Tensions escalated Sunday afternoon when protesters spilled onto Alameda Street, blocking traffic in both directions. Los Angeles police ordered demonstrators to return to the sidewalk, which was met with chants of “Pigs go home.” Shortly after, protesters burned an American flag in the street.
Pretti, described as an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA medical center, was characterized by Trump administration officials as a “domestic terrorist” and would-be assassin. However, his family, neighbors, and the families of veterans he treated remembered him as kind and warm-hearted.
The protests have spread beyond downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach and El Segundo, where hundreds gathered for a candlelight vigil honoring Pretti and Good. At least one Republican senator, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, has called for an investigation into Pretti’s death, describing events in Minneapolis as “incredibly disturbing.”
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