Maggie Bryan joined the Denver7 team in June 2025 as a morning reporter.
Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Colorado State Capitol on Saturday afternoon following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, marking the second deadly encounter between federal agents and civilians in Minnesota.
Pretti, an ICU nurse at a VA hospital in Minneapolis, was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent during an immigration enforcement operation. The Department of Homeland Security said Pretti was armed when he approached DHS officers, then resisted officers' attempts to disarm him. Officials did not clarify whether Pretti brandished the gun.Bystander video of the incident shows Pretti with a phone in his hand before several officers took him to the ground. None of the videos appear to show Pretti with a visible weapon in hand. In a social media post, DHS said this 'looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.' Many protesters in Denver and across the nation disputed the federal government's account of events.'I've never been more ashamed in my life of this country, and I feel like the people who represent us no longer represent us as a people,' said one protester outside the State Capitol. 'I come out here to be encouraged that the entire country hasn't lost their minds, and that there are a bunch of like-minded people around here who are willing to stand up and not accept what's happening.'Pretti's parents, who live in Colorado, pushed back against DHS's characterization of their son. In a statement to CNN on Saturday, Michael and Susan Pretti said:Pretti was a U.S. citizen born in Illinois. His family said he was protesting because he was upset by ICE's actions in Minneapolis. Minneapolis police confirmed Pretti was a legal gun owner with a license to carry.DHS Secretary Kristi Noem described the incident as self-defense for the officers involved.'This individual showed up to impede a law enforcement operation and assaulted our officers. They responded according to their training, um, and took action to defend the officer's life and those of the public around him,' Noem said.The Minnesota National Guard has been activated to support Minneapolis police as protests continue throughout the city.Protesters in Denver said they are trying to prevent tensions seen in Minnesota from spreading to Colorado.'It's going to escalate and escalate. It's going to be a cycle. They're going to kill more people in Minneapolis. They're going to come here and kill people,' said Neal, a protester outside the capitol.When asked if he believes protesters in Minneapolis have had a hand in escalating situations there, he said no.'Not at all. In Minneapolis, they're being attacked. They're responding peacefully. There's a reason that there's two dead... people in Minneapolis and no dead ICE agents,' said Neal.Other protesters called attention to Second Amendment rights, saying Pretti had a right to carry a firearm.'There's this mentality that being able to carry and protect yourself and the Second Amendment is not a liberal or left ideal,' a protester said. 'The last thing anybody wants to see is any amount of violence. But if we aren't standing up in powerful ways, you get walked on.'
Michael Pretti Minneapolis Shooting Denver Capitol Protest Denver Ice Protest Denver Protest Ice Shooting Ice Shooting Minneapolis Ice Shooting Minnesota Pretti Colorado
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