Gunshots Ring Out Again! The Agonizing Divide in Minnesota, USA

On January 24, 2026, Alex Pretty, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse in the United States, fell to gunfire from federal law enforcement officers. Less than three weeks after the death of American citizen Reign Good during an immigration enforcement operation, deadly gunfire echoed once more in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security […]

On January 24, 2026, Alex Pretty, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse in the United States, fell to gunfire from federal law enforcement officers.

Less than three weeks after the death of American citizen Reign Good during an immigration enforcement operation, deadly gunfire echoed once more in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that Pretty was holding a pistol and “violently resisted” law enforcement officers. However, video footage from the scene appears to show him holding what looks like a mobile phone, not a gun, when he was shot.

The two incidents occurred just a few kilometers apart, both near the location of the 2020 George Floyd case. This event quickly ignited long-suppressed anger among Minneapolis residents. Despite frigid weather, large crowds took to the streets in protest.

Angry demonstrators faced off against law enforcement officers on the streets, and police had to deploy tear gas and flashbangs to disperse the crowd.

Behind these shootings and violent clashes lies the increasingly severe livelihood challenges in American society. Immigration has consistently been a focal issue in U.S. partisan struggles and elections. Since the second term of the Trump administration, immigration policy has become more hardline, tightening visa policies on one hand while strengthening enforcement—arresting and deporting large numbers of undocumented immigrants—on the other.

According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) statistics, 69,000 people have been detained in immigration enforcement operations, of whom about 43% faced no criminal charges or had no criminal record. In the view of Democrats, the Trump administration’s immigration policies carry distinct partisan overtones.

Trump has referred to Democrat-led cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York as “problem cities.” In states led by Democrats, such as California and Minnesota, the Trump administration has deployed large numbers of federal law enforcement officers and National Guard troops to conduct operations.

The consecutive shootings have not only caused social unrest but have also profoundly damaged trust between law enforcement agencies and communities. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been highly controversial due to its aggressive enforcement tactics.

In places like Portland, federal law enforcement officers wore no clear insignia or identification badges, and their actions in dispersing demonstrators were noticeably more aggressive. They would suddenly fire tear gas and rubber bullets even when protesters were calming down, triggering more discontent.

This style of policing fails to build trust and instead further fuels conflict. As the Mayor of Portland said after being hit by tear gas, “This isn’t de-escalation. This is flat-out urban warfare.”

With intensifying political polarization and escalating social conflicts, America seems to be heading down an irreversible path toward more confrontation.

Following Pretty’s shooting, the State of Minnesota, jointly with the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, demanding an end to the significantly intensified immigration enforcement operations by federal agencies in the state.

Simultaneously, the U.S. Department of Justice has initiated a criminal investigation against Minnesota Governor Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Frey, and other officials, alleging that their series of statements regarding the federal deployment of large numbers of ICE and Border Patrol personnel to Minnesota constitutes obstruction of justice.

This mutual accusation and confrontation further heighten tensions. Protests triggered by the shooting continue. The scene of federal law enforcement officers facing off against citizens on American city streets has strayed far from the duty of law enforcement agencies to uphold public safety.

With each gunshot and each life lost, American society must answer a fundamental question: Whose safety do law enforcement agencies exist to protect? And by what means?