Sen. Rand Paul Calls For An 'Independent' Investigation Into Shooting Of Alex Pretty: 'It Was a Tragedy'

Republican Sen. Rand Paul called for an "independent" investigation into the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis as the Trump administration continues to take heat in its aftermath.

Speaking to Fox Business, Paul said "I don't know who trusts an investigation" into the matter conducted by the Department of Homeland Security "when they are the ones calling this person an 'assassin' and a 'domestic terrorist,' saying he was assaulting the police."

Rand Paul: "There has to be an investigation. I don't know who trusts an investigation done by DHS when they're the ones calling this person an 'assassin,' a 'domestic terrorist,' saying he was assaulting the police. How can they be in charge of an independent investigation?… pic.twitter.com/mcNav1N8Mr

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 28, 2026

"How can they be in charge of an independent investigation? Something's got to happen here," he added. "I'm not saying officers are guilty of anything criminal. In al likelihood they were trying to do their job. But it was a tragedy. The guns were prematurely drawn and fired after a gun had already left the scene. Someone was shouting 'gun, gun, gun' and they were worried the perpetrator had it when indeed one of their own agents had it," he added.

Paul concluded by noting that if Republicans don't say "it was a mistake" and claim Pretti was a terrorist, "people are not going to accept that." "You want Minnesota to calm down, you need to show there is a just and independent investigation."

In fact, a preliminary DHS report on the shooting doesn't state that Pretti attacked federal officers or brandished a weapon, contradicting public claims made by Kristi Noem.

The initial review, prepared by Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility and shared with congressional committees, states that during the incident on Jan. 24, an officer repeatedly shouted, "He's got a gun!" before two federal officers fired their weapons.

The report does not describe Pretti attacking agents or displaying a firearm, despite earlier assertions by DHS leadership that he posed a violent threat, as NBC News reports

Multiple eyewitness videos analyzed by NBC News show that Pretti did not appear to hold a weapon during the struggle as agents surrounded him. One video shows a federal agent removing a gun from Pretti's waist area moments before shots were fired. The report notes that a Border Patrol agent later secured Pretti's firearm in a vehicle.

Noem had previously said Pretti arrived at the scene with weapons and ammunition and described his actions as "domestic terrorism," arguing that officers fired in self-defense. A DHS spokesperson said initial statements were based on early reports from agents at what was described as a chaotic scene and that investigations would determine the facts.

According to the new report, officers were conducting enforcement operations in Minneapolis as part of Operation Metro Surge when they encountered Pretti amid protests and crowd activity. Agents attempted to move civilians out of the roadway and used pepper spray before trying to detain Pretti, who resisted, leading to a struggle and the subsequent shooting.

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