On January 27, 2026, CNN reported that Alex Pretti was known to federal law enforcement prior to the fatal shooting that occurred Saturday.
According to CNN, unnamed sources indicated “federal immigration officers…had documented details about Alex Pretti before [Saturday’s fatal shooting].”
He had been injured while protesting law enforcement efforts over “their attempt to detain other individuals” a week before his death.
CNN made clear it is not known when he came to law enforcement’s attention–whether it was during the confrontation a week prior to the shooting, before, or afterward–but he had done so.
Breitbart News noted that on Tuesday, President Trump told FOX News’ Will Cain Pretti’s death was “terrible,” adding, “I don’t like the fact that he was carrying a gun that was fully loaded and he had two magazines with him…”
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and the director of global marketing for Lone Star Hunts. He holds a PhD in Military History with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. He enjoys reading Philosophy and novels by Jack Carr and Nelson DeMille. Follow him on X: @awrhawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.