UNH, 3M, Target CEOs Join Corporate Leaders Urging Calm After Minneapolis ICE Shooting Sparks National Backlash

• CEO’s of Target, Best Buy, 3M, UnitedHealth Group, and General Mills were among the leaders.
• Pretti’s death follows the recent shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in the same area.

The CEOs of Target, Best Buy, 3M, UnitedHealth Group, and General Mills have publicly called for “peace and focused cooperation” and “an immediate de-escalation of tensions” following the killing of an American citizen in Minneapolis by a federal officer cracking down on illegal immigration.

In a letter signed by more than 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies on Sunday to the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, executives noted that the recent killing of two citizens in the region has “created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life.”

“With yesterday’s tragic news, we are calling for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions,” the statement read.

The Weekend Escalation

The 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse, identified as Alex Pretti, had reportedly protested against U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and was a citizen of the United States.

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to the media that the federal officers were conducting an operation in the area and had fired “defensive shots” after a man, reportedly with a handgun, approached them and “violently resisted” when the officers tried to disarm him.

But several media reports and bystander videos cited by CNBC and AP showed that Pretti is seen with a phone in his hand, and it does not appear as if he carried a weapon that could hurt anyone. Following the shooting, AP said that a gathering of an angry crowd of protesters fought with federal immigration officers, who wielded batons and deployed flash bangs.

Pretti’s death follows the recent shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in the same area.

Political View

In a statement released on X on Sunday, Former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, called the killing of Alex Pretti a “heartbreaking tragedy” and said it should be a “wake-up call” to every American that many of the country’s core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.

Obama said that federal law enforcement and immigration agents have a tough job, and Americans expect them to carry out their duties lawfully and be accountable. “That’s not what we are seeing in Minnesota. In fact, we’re seeing the opposite,” Obama said.

Bill Clinton also joined in by adding that in recent weeks, “horrible” scenes have played out in America. He said that the killings of Good and Pretti and the beating up of peaceful protestors are “unacceptable” and should have been avoided.

Trump, on the other hand, on Truth Social, allegedly claimed that the “gunman’s gun” was “loaded” and asked, “What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?”

U.S. equities were mixed in overnight trading on Monday, with the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) down by 0.07%, while the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ) fell 0.12% and the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) rose 0.03%.

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