Overview of 10 Shots: Federal Agents Kill Another Person in Minnesota
This episode of The Daily (New York Times) — titled "10 Shots: Federal Agents Kill Another Person in Minnesota" — examines the fatal January shooting of a Minneapolis resident identified in the coverage as Alex Preddy during a Border Patrol operation. The NYT visual investigations team analyzed multiple videos and timelines that conflict with the Department of Homeland Security’s initial narrative that Preddy “approached agents with a handgun” and posed an immediate lethal threat. The episode places the shooting in the larger context of an aggressive federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, public outrage and protests, state–federal tensions, and ongoing questions about accountability and investigations.
Key points and timeline
- Incident: Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Preddy during a confrontation with protesters monitoring a federal immigration operation in Minneapolis.
- NYT visual analysis timeline:
- Escalation to the final fatal shot: ~40 seconds.
- Preddy was filmed holding a cell phone (recording), not a gun, while initially observing and then stepping between an agent and a protester.
- Preddy was pepper‑sprayed, pulled to the ground, restrained and repeatedly struck by agents.
- An agent reached into the scrum, removed a firearm from Preddy’s waist.
- About one second after that firearm was removed, another agent fired the first shot.
- After the first shot, additional shots were fired. Total observed: roughly 10 shots in about 5 seconds, including shots fired while Preddy was motionless and disarmed on the ground.
- Agents allegedly yelled “he’s got a gun” only after the struggle, suggesting they did not clearly know he was armed earlier in the encounter.
Visual investigation findings
- Contradiction of official claim: Footage shows Preddy holding a phone and not brandishing a weapon at any point prior to being grabbed and disarmed.
- Use of force sequence: Preddy was subdued on the ground (arms near his head, being held down) when multiple agents fired into his back.
- Unclear perceptual cause: Although a weapon was present on Preddy’s hip and was later removed, it is unclear whether the agent who fired first had a real-time, unambiguous view of that firearm being removed — events happened in split seconds.
- Implication: Even if an agent saw a gun present, the video raises questions about whether deadly force was necessary once Preddy was restrained and already being disarmed.
People, roles, and context
- Victim: Identified as Alex Preddy in the report — a local VA nurse, federal employee, no known criminal record. Described by colleagues as community-minded and nonviolent.
- Purpose of the federal operation: Border Patrol said agents were seeking a particular suspect (reported as an immigrant from Ecuador with a significant criminal history). Minnesota state records reportedly did not corroborate that description and found only minor citations for the person targeted, according to state officials.
- Prior related incident: This is the second fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis within less than a month (the earlier victim: Renee Good), heightening tensions.
Responses and reactions
- Federal government: DHS officials and other federal figures publicly asserted that the protester posed a deadly threat; some federal leaders used strong language (e.g., labeling some observant protesters as domestic terrorists). DOJ launched inquiries into Minnesota state and city officials’ conduct in response to the enforcement actions.
- State and local officials: Minnesota governor deployed the National Guard; local leaders (mayors, prosecutors, state electeds) condemned the killings and pursued legal and investigative steps. Hennepin County prosecutor created an online portal requesting community video submissions to build an evidentiary record because state investigators had limited access.
- Public: Immediate public outrage and protests in Minneapolis; polarized national reactions — some condemn federal tactics as excessive, others defend aggressive immigration enforcement.
- Media and commentators: Growing scrutiny from various public figures and media outlets about the tactics used by federal agents and the administration’s framing of events.
Investigations, access, and accountability issues
- Access problems: State and local officials reported being blocked from the scene and, at the time of reporting, did not know the identities of the federal agents who fired.
- Usual process disrupted: Historically DOJ/state investigators work jointly with state agencies on officer-involved shootings; local officials said that cooperation had been curtailed in prior cases, creating concerns about impartiality and thoroughness.
- Evidence collection: NYT’s visual analysis is based on available publicly circulated footage; investigators typically need more video, witness testimony, and forensic evidence — which can take weeks or months to assemble.
- Political/legal maneuvers: Minnesota officials pursued litigation to halt the federal enforcement operation; members of Congress discussed withholding DHS funding as a potential lever, though passage was uncertain given Republican control of Congress.
Larger political context and stakes
- Policy backdrop: The shootings occurred amid an administration‑led, visible immigration enforcement crackdown in Minneapolis, a city that has resisted civil immigration enforcement — escalating tensions between federal and local authorities.
- Public opinion nuance: Polls suggest the public broadly supports stronger border enforcement as a goal but many think ICE and related tactics have gone too far; graphic footage may shift moderate public opinion further.
- Potential consequences: Continued public protests, further legal challenges, federal–state litigation, congressional pressure, and heightened scrutiny of federal agent rules of engagement and oversight.
Main takeaways
- Visual evidence analyzed by NYT contradicts the immediate federal narrative that the protester actively advanced on agents with a gun; footage shows he was recording, restrained, and disarmed before he was shot.
- The shooting unfolded in seconds, but the key sequence — disarming and almost-immediate lethal shots — raises serious questions about necessity and judgment.
- The incident adds to mounting tensions from a controversial federal immigration operation, has provoked intense local and national backlash, and faces complicated investigative and accountability hurdles because of restricted access and rapid federal statements assigning blame.
- What to watch next: release of additional footage or bodycam video, identification of the agents involved, DOJ/state investigatory outcomes, any civil or criminal charges, and federal–state legal battles over the enforcement operation itself.
Notable quotes from the episode
- “What the fuck did you just do?” (protester bystander exclaiming during aftermath)
- DHS characterization cited on air: that a protester “committed an act of domestic terrorism” and that individuals “came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation.”
- NYT visual investigators’ central observation: Preddy “was not holding a gun when he began interacting with the federal agents or throughout the entirety of their interaction.”
Produced by The Daily, this episode combines visual investigation, reporting from the scene, and analysis of political and legal ramifications to explain why this shooting has intensified a national debate over federal immigration enforcement and use-of-force oversight.