Governor Walz Calls Federal Operations a Campaign of Organized Brutality After Second Killing

Governor Tim Walz held a press conference after Alex Pretti's killing, calling the federal government's actions 'a campaign of organized brutality against the people of our state, and today, that campaign claimed another life.' Walz stated: 'Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.' When asked about DHS's claim that Pretti was shot in self-defense, Walz called it 'nonsense' and said: 'What I see with my eyes and what you're going to see with your eyes makes that pretty hard to believe.' Walz stated that 'the federal government cannot be trusted to lead this investigation. The state will handle it. Period.' He confirmed the National Guard had been activated and 85 State Patrol officers deployed. This is Walz's second confrontation with federal authorities over a fatal shooting in less than three weeks, following Renee Nicole Good's killing on January 7.

"a campaign of organized brutality against the people of our state" — Governor Walz press conference, January 24, 2026