A federal agent shot and killed a man who was brandishing a gun while officers in Minneapolis were attempting to arrest an illegal criminal Saturday morning, the Department of Homeland Security said.
The incident, which was captured on video, drew an immediate crowd of rowdy protesters, prompting law enforcement to fire multiple rounds of tear gas in an effort to disperse them.
Rioters were seen hurling trash cans at an armored vehicle and chanting at armed federal officers in the aftermath of the incident.
A 39-second clip showed about half a dozen cops struggling with someone on the sidewalk in front of a donut shop at 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue, when the gunfire erupted.
The gun that allegedly belongs to the suspect who was shot in Minnesota. DHS
The shooting, which occurred at 9:05 a.m. local time, came during a “targeted operation” against an illegal immigrant wanted for violent assault when “an individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun,” a DHS statement said.
“The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted,” DHS said. “Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots.”
Medics tended to the armed man, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, the statement said.
In addition to the weapon, the suspect had two magazine clips and lacked identification, according to the feds, who said “this looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.
“About 200 rioters arrived at the scene and began to obstruct and assault law enforcement on the scene, crowd control measures were deployed for the safety of the public and law enforcement.”
A 39-second clip shared to social media showed about half a dozen cops struggling with someone on the sidewalk in front of a donut shop at 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue, when the gunfire erupted.
People hug each other at the scene of a shooting involving federal officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 24, 2026. REUTERS
People gather behind cordon tape at the scene of a shooting involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, on January 24, 2026. REUTERS
The officers appeared to scatter after the barrage of shots went off, according to the footage.
The shooting happened after the man brandished a firearm with two magazines, a law enforcement source told The Post, sharing a photo of the firearm.
In a statement, city officials urged residents to stay calm and avoid the area.
A woman reacts after a shooting involving federal officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 24, 2026. Getty Images
A protester is arrested as people gather after a shooting involving federal officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 24, 2026. CRAIG LASSIG/EPA/Shutterstock
“We are aware of reports of another shooting involving federal law enforcement in the area of 26th Street W and Nicollet Ave. We are working to confirm additional details,” the statement said.
More than 100 protesters had been at the scene when the encounter occurred – a number that quickly grew.
Protesters infuriated by the ICE deployment have been heckling people they believe to be government agents in the area.
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On Friday, protesters yelled obscenities at two people wearing plain clothes who they believed to be agents after protesters claimed their rental car was linked to the incident, according to video reviewed by The Post.
Neither person was an officer.
Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) posted about the incident on X late morning Saturday as the details of the shooting were still unfolding.
Federal agents confront protestors after a shooting involving federal officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 24, 2026. Getty Images
A federal agent points a weapon at a protestor after a shooting involving federal officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 24, 2026. Getty Images
Federal immigration officers deploy tear gas at observers after the shooting. AP
“I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening,” he wrote.
“The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”
Neither the White House nor the Department of Homeland Security have said what precipitated the shooting, and did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Officials were set to brief the public on the incident Saturday afternoon.