Border Patrol agents beat and publicly execute lawful gun owner as video contradicts DHS

On Jan. 24, 2026, Border Patrol agents shot and killed a 37-year-old white Minneapolis man near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue around 9:05 a.m. The man was pronounced dead at Hennepin County Medical Center. This is the third shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis since Jan. 7, when ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good. A third shooting on an earlier date injured another person but wasn't life-threatening. The shooting happened one day after 15,000 people peacefully protested ICE operations in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the man was an American citizen, a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry, and his only prior law enforcement contact was traffic tickets. The man's name wasn't immediately released by authorities. O'Hara said he's seen video of the shooting and stated, 'I just saw a video of more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents and shooting him to death.' He called on federal agencies to operate with 'the same discipline, humanity and integrity that effective law enforcement in this country demands.'

Video from the scene shows at least four to six masked agents restraining the man on the ground. They appear to hit him with an object several times before an agent shoots the man. The other agents step back, and the man remains motionless on the ground. Additional gunshots are heard, and one agent appears to continue shooting in the direction of the man. Mayor JFJacob Frey said he watched the video and saw 'more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents and shooting him to death.'

DHS claimed the man 'approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun' while they were 'conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault.' DHS said the man 'violently resisted' attempts to disarm him. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the agent was 'fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers' and fired 'defensive shots.' DHS distributed a photo of a handgun they said was on the man who was shot.

DHS also claimed the man 'had 2 magazines and no ID—this looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.'

The Border Patrol Union released a statement blaming 'media and politicians' for 'irresponsible, hate-filled and false rhetoric' that 'is going to get people unnecessarily hurt, or worse, killed.' The union said 'fake and dishonest media and the shameless politicians should be held accountable for willfully misleading the public and enticing these protesters and agitators.'

Hundreds of protesters gathered at the scene following the shooting. Federal agents deployed tear gas, pepper spray, and other chemical irritants to disperse the crowd. Minneapolis Police Chief O'Hara called the protest an unlawful assembly and asked people to avoid the area. O'Hara said about 200 people arrived at the scene and DHS claimed they 'began to obstruct and assault law enforcement on the scene.'

At least one protester was taken to the ground and placed in handcuffs. Some protesters chanted 'I smell Nazis' and 'go home' at federal agents.

Mayor JFJacob Frey called on President Trump to withdraw federal troops from 🦆Minnesota. 'How many more residents, how many more Americans, need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end?' Frey said.

He called the federal presence the opposite of achieving peace and safety. Gov. Tim Walz said he spoke with the White House after the shooting and wrote, '🦆Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.'

Sen. Amy Klobuchar tweeted, 'Donald Trump and all your lieutenants who ordered this ICE surge: watch the horrific video of the killing today. To the Trump administration and the Republicans in Congress who have stood silent: Get ICE out of our state NOW.'

Rep. Ilhan Omar called it 'an execution by immigration enforcement' and said federal agents 'murdered another member of our community.' Omar said, 'This isn't isolated or accidental. The Trump administration is trying to beat us into submission rather than protect us.'

She accused the Trump administration of violating the Constitution 'under the guise of immigration enforcement' and said '🦆Minnesota was once a place of refuge, and Trump has turned it into a war zone where unchecked federal forces murder our neighbors.'

The 🦆Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting. Hennepin County Attorney MMMary Moriarty said her office is working with the BCA to coordinate a state response.