Governor Walz Responds To Shooting Of Nurse Alex Pretti

ST. PAUL (WJON News) -- Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison held a briefing on Sunday afternoon to discuss the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, the third shooting involving federal agents in Minnesota.

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Walz says he's talked to Pretti's parents, who asked that his story continue to be told.  "Beloved by his family, a dedicated ICU nurse, and a legal gun owner".

Walz says, "This is no longer a political debate; it is a moral debate. "  He goes on to say, "someone has to be held accountable for Pretti's death."

Ellison says the largest deployment of federal ICE agents in Minnesota ever in the history of our country is puzzling, given the relatively low number of undocumented immigrants we have in our state.

He says we're in uncharted territory with the Minnesota BCA agents denied access to the scene of the shooting, even after obtaining a signed warrant by a judge, which was never needed before.

Ellison's office has filed a motion requiring the federal government preserve the evidence from the scene, which was granted by a judge within two hours.

State officials did confirm BCA agents were at the scene of the shooting on Sunday morning.

Ellison says he'll be in federal court on Monday morning over a lawsuit the state has filed over "Operation Metro Surge".  He says he will argue that the state is being targeted over politics.  He says it's in part because we are a state that voted three times for someone who is not Donald Trump.

Walz responded to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi's letter sent on Saturday with three demands.  He says the demands, including turning over the state's voter rolls to the federal government, are not a serious response.