A man was shot and killed by federal immigration authorities on Saturday in Minneapolis, an event that quickly sparked a large protest in a city already grappling with intense community unrest following a previous fatal shooting earlier this year.
The circumstances around the shooting remain unclear. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz explained that the incident was linked to the Trump administration's intensified immigration enforcement efforts. Hospital records reviewed confirm that the individual, a 51-year-old man, succumbed to his injuries after the confrontation with immigration officers.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), stated in a text message that the man was armed, possessing a firearm alongside two magazines. She noted the details of the situation were still unfolding. DHS disseminated an image of the handgun reportedly found on the individual following the shooting.
This shooting took place amidst continued daily demonstrations in Minneapolis and neighboring areas, ongoing since the January 7 fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good. Good was killed when an officer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) fired into her vehicle. Saturday’s fatal incident happened just over a mile from that prior site.
Following the shooting, a crowd assembled near the scene, loud and confrontational, voicing their anger towards federal officers. Protesters directed insults at the agents, branding them as "cowards" and demanding they leave the area. One responding officer retorted sarcastically, dismissing the crowd’s outrage with a mocking "Boo hoo." Elsewhere, tensions rose as agents forcibly pushed a protester into a police vehicle, with demonstrators responding by dragging dumpsters from nearby alleyways to obstruct streets. The assembled group repeatedly chanted "ICE out now," a direct call for the removal of Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel.
Federal agents utilized batons and flash bang devices in their efforts to manage the crowd.
Governor Walz, a member of the Democratic Party, communicated on social media about his discussions with the White House regarding the incident. He appealed directly to President Donald Trump, urging an end to what has been described by the Department of Homeland Security as the largest immigration enforcement operation ever conducted.
On the social platform X, Walz demanded, "Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now."
This violent episode occurred just one day after thousands of demonstrators braved cold temperatures on Minneapolis streets, vocally opposing the immigration crackdown and calling for the withdrawal of federal law enforcement officers.