MINNEAPOLIS, MN — U.S. Border Patrol agents shot and killed a 37-year-old U.S. citizen Saturday morning during a federal law enforcement operation. The shooting happened about 9:05 a.m. at the intersection of West 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue.
The man worked as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said he believed the man held a license to carry a handgun and was a lawful gun owner.
Federal Operation and Video Evidence
Federal officials said agents were searching for a different person at the time of the encounter. That person was wanted for assault and was believed to be in the country illegally. Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), said an agent fired in self-defense. She said the agent feared for his own safety and the safety of his colleagues during a struggle.
However, video recordings of the encounter suggest a different version of what happened. Footage appears to show the nurse defending a bystander after a federal agent shoved the person to the ground. In the recording, an officer repeatedly used pepper spray on the nurse before several agents tackled him. The video also appears to show an agent taking a gun from the nurse just before another agent shot him at close range. Ten more shots followed immediately.
Dispute Between Agencies
The shooting led to a dispute between state and federal authorities over which agency should lead the investigation. Federal agents reportedly blocked Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) investigators as they tried to enter the scene. The BCA is the agency that typically handles police shootings.
Following the shooting and the disagreement at the scene, Governor Tim Walz demanded that federal agents leave the state immediately. The governor said he was concerned about the training and actions of federal agents working in Minnesota.
President Donald Trump defended the actions of the federal agents on Saturday. He blamed local officials for the shooting, accusing Governor Walz and the Minneapolis mayor of "inciting Insurrection" with their words.
Public Safety Response
This incident marks the second time in less than three weeks that federal agents have killed a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis.
Fearing that protests could turn violent, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office asked the Minnesota National Guard for help on Saturday afternoon. Guard members will help keep the peace as the situation develops.
