Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that federal officials issued public statements in the immediate aftermath of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti based on what they believed to be accurate information at the time.
Speaking on Fox News, Noem said officials relied on “the best information we had” and “what we knew to be true on the ground,” describing the scene as chaotic. Her comments followed criticism of statements she made on the day of the shooting, when she said the federal agents involved were justified and claimed Pretti had “attacked” officers and intended to harm them. Noem did not present evidence to support those assertions during her Thursday appearance.
Minnesota officials quickly challenged Noem’s initial account, pointing to multiple witness videos that appeared to contradict federal officials’ early descriptions of the incident.
Noem said Thursday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is now leading the investigation. Earlier statements from federal officials had indicated the Department of Homeland Security would conduct the inquiry with FBI assistance.
The evolving narrative has drawn growing criticism from legal experts and former officials, who argue that senior leaders moved too quickly to characterize the shooting before key facts were established. Saying that issuing definitive conclusions so early risks undermining public trust in federal investigations.
Critics have also warned against labeling individuals as “domestic terrorists” or declaring shootings justified before evidence is fully reviewed — language used by Noem and White House adviser Stephen Miller following the deaths of Pretti and Renee Good.
“It’s incredibly irresponsible to rush to conclusions,” said John Sandweg, a former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the Obama administration. “When senior officials say, ‘These are the facts, this is what happened,’ before an investigation is complete, you undermine credibility and make it much harder for the public to have confidence in the outcome.”
The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.
