Editor’s Note: The following analysis reflects the opinions and interpretations of Braden Langley of Langley Outdoors Academy. AmmoLand News is not asserting factual conclusions regarding the incident. Investigations into the death of Alex Pretti are ongoing, and no official determinations have been made.
Braden Langley of Langley Outdoors Academy has posted a compelling analysis of what appears to be a combination of an unintentional discharge of Alex Pretti’s Sig Sauer P320, combined with the predictable response, which led to his shooting and death in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026. Langly does his analysis on YouTube.
To sum up the action as shown in numerous videos. Alex Pretti is involved in obstructing ICE officers from making an arrest, along with numerous other individuals. Pretti is in the street and is actively aiding others in obstructing ICE. A couple of women are working with Alex. ICE agents tell them to leave/get out of the way. Pretti does not do so. An ICE agent sprays him with pepper spray, and about 3-5 ICE agents attempt to place him in custody. Pretti struggles, resisting arrest. 3-5 ICE agents are involved, taking Pretti to the ground, and attempting to gain control over Pretti.
One of the agents, wearing a grey jacket and grey headgear, reaches into the scrum of struggling men, takes a pistol off of Pretti, which appears to have been in the small of Pretti’s back. It is not clear if there is a holster. At this point, someone yells, “Gun! Gun! Gun!” which is what agents are trained to do when a weapon is found during a struggle.
At the “Gun! Gun! Gun!” warning, at least one of the agents draws his handgun. The agent in grey starts to step away from the scrum, removing the pistol from the scene, a prudent move. He barely takes a step before a shot is fired. At least two of the agents recoil in response. Then several more shots are fired, which result in Pretti’s death.
Langley claims the video shows the first shot was fired from Pretti’s Sig P320 as it was being removed from the scene.
In Langley’s detailed analysis, it appears the slide on the Sig P320 moves back and forth as the agent in grey holds it down toward the ground by his side as he steps away. His hand appears to move, as if from recoil. There is some evidence of a bullet hitting the ground.
If this theory is true, then there should be evidence of an impact of a bullet at the crime scene, in the suspected location.
This sort of situation has happened before in law enforcement. There is a struggle. A gun is found. A shot goes off. Officers, keyed up to the edge in a highly dangerous situation, fire in response. Langley calls it “contagious gunfire.” The officers were primed for a deadly threat. They are on the edge of responding with deadly force. Then the gunshot rings out. It is very close. People may even feel splatter or fragments from the bullet hit their feet or legs.
There will be much more investigation. The agents will be questioned. The truth will come out.
It is hoped the crime scene is preserved. This is not easy to do when the local police will not assist, the governor and the mayor are telling the proto-insurgents to resist, and the incident occurs in an area where the proto-insurgents are attempting to exert control.
In some cases, confederates of offenders have removed evidence from the scene. Several cartridge cases should be at the scene to be analyzed in a crime laboratory. The local police have been forbidden to assist, so it will have to be at a federal lab.
There are also peculiar things that can happen, and have happened at other crime scenes. A cartridge case may become embedded in a boot tread or vehicle tread if the crime scene is not very carefully controlled.
A tragedy composed of a series of unfortunate events, triggered by illegal interference with ICE agents, appears to be the most likely explanation of what resulted in Alex Pretti’s death.
Opinion: FBI Director Kash Patel Needs to Review the Second Amendment
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
Carrying a Sig P320 concealed with a round in the chamber…
What could go wrong… oops.
Anyone else find it unusual that a liberal male nurse packs a high-end Sig pistol to cc to a protest?
People tend to do as they are trained. This can be good or bad, based on quality of the training and many other factors. About five years ago I stopped at a Border Patrol check point on I-8 in AZ. One agent adressed me at the drivers door, two others stood by the left rear of my pick-up truck. the agent at my door asked if I wished to secure the loose tail of a ratchet strap that was begining to unravel I replied yes, and informed him that I was carring a firearm on my right hip. He said… Read more »
‘ William Sack, legal director of the Second Amendment Foundation, said he was surprised and disappointed by the administration’s initial statements following the Pretti shooting. Trump’s vacillating, he said, is “very likely to cost them dearly with the core of a constituency they count on.” ‘
https://apnews.com/article/trump-pretti-minnesota-second-amendment-ice-ffef56cab9930e52273f8227251452f4
Ya think?
Unfortunately, I would not be surprised if a P320 did that…. If this is found to be true, DHS, ICE, and President Trump should make statements stating the truth and nothing but the truth. If any convincing evidence proves that the agents responding were in any way at fault, they should face some sort of consequences (Love our agents but IF there was any kind of mistake, there should be a reasonable response). If the Sig is at fault, I believe SIG Sauer should STOP making the P320 and design a new FCU. They may be toast already if it… Read more »
Braden’s analysis of the situation seems credible. I will be interested to see if the investigation supports his conclusion, or if evidence is swept under the rug.
Good analysis. Recent reports are one or more Fed. Agents involved were wearing body cams. Until ALL the forensics are done and final conclusions made, the hypothesis proffered by Braden Langley is the most plausible.
There is no doubt sympathetic gunfire going on but to analyze it in light of what you are suggesting you have to overlay the audio points on the video to see if it coincides with that theory. For example of the first show fired did not coincide with the arms movement you pointed out, the guy in grey, then that theory is not correct. Likely we will never have the needed base for a proper officer involved shooting investigation.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG The problem begins with the democratic parties assault on our republic. The local law enforcement failed participation in theses riots as they have gone far past peaceful protest bought and paid for , yet still undiscovered. WHAT COULD GO WRONG Sanctuary cities states that are involved in illegal acts harboring illegals that have been arrested multiple times criminals with revolving door injustice. WHAT COULD GO WRONG This is what the democratic party wants today and all they have done for the past 60 years. Divide us as a nation using any means possible. Lawfare race political… Read more »
If we do not get rid of the thirty milion illegal aliens in our country, they will change the political landscape and culture and we will lose our 2A rights. Go ICE.
I think Braden is correct. BUT! There’s another problem. Set aside everything to do with the gunfire. The administration is saying Alex was “impeding an arrest”. BULLSHIT! He started out just filming. Completely legal. Border agent in green pushes a woman back from a scene. Ok, but then he shoves her onto her ass. Not great but possibly caused as much by the ice and snow on the ground so we’ll give that a pass, although it’s certainly NOT an arrest technique. Alex then gets between that agent and the woman, using body language that clearly says something like “calm… Read more »