The recent shooting deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Jeffrey Pretti in Minneapolis, amid an ongoing immigration enforcement operation, have already sparked widespread protests.
Amid the unrest, social media posts have surfaced claiming the existence of a Signal group allegedly involving several prominent Minneapolis residents.
Cam Higby, a right-wing commentator, shared screenshots of the group on X on Saturday, writing that he had "infiltrated organizational signal groups all around Minneapolis with the sole intention of tracking down federal agents and impeding/assaulting/and obstructing them."
He added, "Each area of the city has a signal or several signals. Let’s start with a screen recording of all members of the south side group to start."
Following this, @jimmy_rustlin, an account known for posting right-wing content, shared claims identifying several individuals using codenames and suggesting their involvement in coordinating activities within the group.
Among those mentioned are people claimed to be local politicians, activists, and community organizers, with specific alleged roles described in the posts.
However, these claims have not been independently verified. HT.com has not confirmed the existence of the Signal group, the identities of its members, or the activities attributed to them. Neither the group nor the individuals named have made any public confirmations.
What happened on Saturday?
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, an intensive care nurse at the Veterans Administration, was shot and killed by a federal officer in Minneapolis on Saturday. Pretti, a US citizen born in Illinois, lived in Minneapolis.
{{/usCountry}}Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, an intensive care nurse at the Veterans Administration, was shot and killed by a federal officer in Minneapolis on Saturday. Pretti, a US citizen born in Illinois, lived in Minneapolis.
{{/usCountry}}According to the Department of Homeland Security, Pretti was shot after he allegedly “approached” U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun.
DHS said officers attempted to disarm him, and when he “violently resisted,” an agent fired.
Also Read: Alex Pretti: Minneapolis shooting suspect's alleged photos, videos and social media profiles surface
Pretti's family told the Associated Press that he cared deeply about people and was troubled by the federal government’s immigration policies in the city.
"He cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset,” said Michael Pretti, Alex’s father. “He felt that doing the protesting was a way to express that, you know, his care for others.”
Family members said Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed weapon in Minnesota, though they had never seen him carry it.