Britain’s Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said the fatal shooting of an American man by United States federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was “concerning,” as anger grew over the incident.
The remarks came on Wednesday, 28 January 2026, while Starmer was speaking to reporters on a flight to China for an official visit. Okay News reports that the British leader said he had not reviewed every detail of the case, but the footage he had seen raised serious concerns.
The man who died was Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse. He was shot and killed on Saturday, 24 January 2026, during a protest in Minneapolis. Multiple videos circulating online appear to show officers firing at him while he was on the ground.
Starmer told reporters that the images were troubling. “I have not seen all of the details, but what I have seen is obviously concerning,” he said. He added that, based on what he had watched so far, “I would say it is concerning.”
Authorities said Pretti had a firearm and held a permit for it, but the available video footage did not show the weapon in his hand at the time he was shot.
The shooting drew condemnation across political lines in the United States and led to further protests in Minneapolis. It also added to public criticism over the conduct of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the United States agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws inside the country, and Border Patrol agents under United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which typically operates near the border but can also be involved in federal operations.
Reports described months of rising tension linked to immigration enforcement operations, including complaints that some agents have been masked, not clearly identified, and heavily armed during street arrests of people suspected of violating immigration rules.
Pretti’s death came less than three weeks after another fatal shooting in Minneapolis. Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed on Tuesday, 7 January 2026, in an incident involving an ICE agent.
As outrage grew over Pretti’s death and early statements from the administration that blamed the victim, United States President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, 27 January 2026, that he would “de-escalate a little bit” in the city. He also spoke with local Democratic leaders, and reports said some of the 3,000 federal agents deployed to Minneapolis were expected to leave soon.
