A tense and deadly scene unfolded around 9:00 a.m. on January 24 outside Glam Doll Donuts at 26th Street West and Nicollet Avenue South in Minneapolis, where a confrontation involving U.S. Border Patrol agents ended in a man being shot and killed.
Video recorded from inside the donut shop shows multiple agents struggling with a man across the street near Dragon Star Oriental Foods. As more agents arrived and the situation intensified, gunshots were heard. Witnesses inside the shop could be heard shouting in shock as the man fell to the ground.
First responders immediately began chest compressions, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
What Federal Officials Say Happened
According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), agents were conducting a targeted operation involving a person described as an “illegal alien wanted for violent assault.” During the operation, another individual allegedly approached officers with a 9mm handgun and two loaded magazines.
DHS says the man resisted attempts to disarm him, and an agent fired in what they described as a defensive response, fearing for their lives. A firearm was recovered at the scene. No officers were reported injured.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed the fatality, while city officials asked residents to avoid the area as investigations began. The identity of the man has not yet been released.
Credit: CNBC-TV18
Governor Walz and Political Reaction
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz reacted quickly, calling the incident “sickening” and urging the federal government to scale back its current immigration enforcement operations in the state.
His statement comes amid already heightened tension in Minneapolis following recent protests and the earlier killing of ICE agent Renée Good on January 7. Federal presence in the city has increased since then, leading to frequent demonstrations and strong reactions from local leaders.
DHS officials pushed back, saying the situation is still under review and emphasizing that officers encountered an armed individual during the operation.
Witness Shock and Community Tension
Glam Doll Donuts had publicly expressed solidarity with immigrant communities just a day earlier, announcing a temporary closure for protest support. That context added to the emotional reaction from people inside the shop who witnessed the incident unfold in real time.
From the footage and eyewitness accounts, this was a chaotic and frightening moment for bystanders who did not expect to see a deadly confrontation play out during a normal Saturday morning.
Within hours, protesters began gathering near the scene, adding to an already volatile atmosphere in the city.
BREAKING: I will show you irrefutable evidence that Border Patrol just k*lled an unarmed man in Minneapolis.
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) January 24, 2026
You can clearly see, as I show you that one agent approaches the man without a gun, reaches into the man's pants, pulls out the gun, all before the first shots are… pic.twitter.com/WCxIPolYrS
Investigation Ongoing
DHS and local authorities are reviewing body camera footage and collecting evidence to determine the full sequence demonstrate what led to the shooting. Officials say more details will be released once the review is complete.
I’ll be watching for those updates, because this incident sits at the center of a much larger debate happening in Minneapolis right now around immigration enforcement, public safety, and federal presence in the city.
What are your thoughts on this incident? Share your perspective in the comments below.
