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Consider This from NPR

Tensions escalate in in Minnesota after another killing

26 Jan 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What happened during the fatal shooting of Alex Preddy in Minneapolis?

0.031 - 9.739 Scott Detrow

It was a deadly weekend in Minneapolis. On Saturday, a federal immigration officer fatally shot a 37-year-old ICU nurse and U.S. citizen, Alex Preddy.

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10.16 - 14.091 Unknown

He was a great listener. He had a good laugh.

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14.257 - 19.543 Scott Detrow

That's Heather Zielinski, a friend of Preddy. Preddy worked at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Minneapolis.

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19.943 - 26.37 Unknown

Today we remember that freedom is not free. We have to work at it, nurture it, protect it, and even sacrifice for it.

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26.671 - 31.276 Scott Detrow

A video circulating from 2024 shows Preddy honoring a veteran he had cared for.

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May we never forget and always remember our brothers and sisters who have served so that we may enjoy the gift of freedom. So in this moment, we remember and give thanks for their dedication and selfless service to our nation in the cause of our freedom. In this solemn hour, we rend them our honor and our gratitude.

49.745 - 65.384 Scott Detrow

Preddy's death comes two weeks after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Macklin Good. Federal officials claim Preddy, quote, brandished a weapon and tried to assault officers as they conducted an immigration enforcement operation. Here's Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino on CNN.

65.625 - 71.572 Greg Bovino

That suspect injected himself into that law enforcement situation with a weapon.

71.953 - 93.99 Scott Detrow

The videos of the shooting contradict that. Preddy is not seen brandishing his handgun in any of them. Consider this. Tensions escalate in Minneapolis after a second U.S. citizen is killed by immigration officers. Coming up, we hear from Freddie's friend. From NPR, I'm Scott Detrow.

Chapter 2: What are the implications of federal officials' claims about the shooting?

258.695 - 268.667 Scott Detrow

So that's their statements. Let's talk about their actions for a moment. The administration says it's sending Bordasar Tom home into Minnesota. What does this change mean? Why is this significant?

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269.052 - 287.972 Danielle Kurtzleben

Well, it seems clear this administration recognizes they need to change something in Minneapolis, which is something Walls also noted. Now, the whole world at this point has seen these two horrifying shootings on video. In that last one, you saw a man pepper sprayed, wrestled to the ground by federal agents, one of whom shot him several times.

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287.952 - 303.558 Danielle Kurtzleben

So thus far, DHS Secretary Norman Bovino, they've been the face of the immigration enforcement surge there. Holman, meanwhile, he is no moderate on immigration, but he did also serve under Obama. And Trump really seemed to emphasize this changing of the guard today.

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303.698 - 310.77 Danielle Kurtzleben

In announcing this, he went out of his way to say Holman hasn't been involved in Minneapolis and that he will be reporting directly to Trump.

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311.054 - 320.903 Scott Detrow

Still, though, Danielle, Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem have both called Pretty a domestic terrorist, a would-be assassin. It really seems hard to walk back that rhetoric.

321.403 - 335.776 Danielle Kurtzleben

Very much. But they are trying. Today, when Levitt was asked about that, she said she's never heard Trump characterize Pretty that way. And this is meaningful because Trump, as you know, has no problem being inflammatory. So backing away from this shows they're trying not to repeat that message.

335.796 - 339.059 Scott Detrow

That is NPR White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben. Thank you so much, Danielle.

339.139 - 339.559 Danielle Kurtzleben

Thank you.

342.357 - 352.811 Scott Detrow

And to learn more about Preti, we reached out to Heather Zielinski, his friend. They had known each other for more than 10 years. We reached her earlier this afternoon. Heather, thanks for talking to us.

Chapter 3: How did President Trump and Governor Walz respond to the shooting?

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Liars. Traitors. Cowards.

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544.975 - 555.362 Scott Detrow

A lot of people... around the country, around the world, are learning about Alex today over the course of the last few days. What do you want people to know about him?

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555.382 - 596.753 Unknown

He was nothing like what The people you just named said he was an American citizen. He was a good man. He was a hard worker. And he cared for people. And he cared for nature. He cared for animals and women and other men and his friends and immigrants and people that have lived here for generations and people that have been here for one or two.

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596.773 - 602.7 Unknown

He cared about people, and he was just living a good life.

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604.222 - 619.195 Scott Detrow

It can take a lot of time to... to work through all the feelings that you feel in a situation like this when you lose a friend. But I'm wondering over the last few days, is there one memory or one moment of time you spent with him that you're thinking a lot about?

619.428 - 653.895 Unknown

Well, we just were talking in his kitchen, you know, and he was laughing. And I was looking at the picture of his dog on his refrigerator. She was wearing a little pink tutu. He was just laughing, you know. And when the images of him laying there come to my mind, I don't push them away because we need to look at that.

654.296 - 691.983 Unknown

But I also am grateful that I have that moment, you know, over tea in his kitchen peacefully, you know, where I can remember his laugh and the tone of his voice and that he was just a good person and I felt safe being around him. I think we need to keep humanity in front of us and not buy into this narrative that's being pushed by the people that took his life.

693.704 - 699.61 Scott Detrow

Heather Zielinski, thank you so much for talking to us and sharing your memories of your friend Alex Preddy.

700.291 - 705.055 Heather Zielinski

Thank you. Thanks for having me. Thanks for the opportunity to tell the truth about him.

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