Following the incident, the Department of Homeland Security said that federal immigration agents fired shots in a move of self-defence, claiming Pretti had a handgun at the time. This contrasts with both witness accounts and video footage, which show him holding a cell phone, not a gun.
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Multiple videos of the incident have been circulating online, with The Guardian claiming that after reviewing one piece of footage, Pretti – who was legally licensed to have a gun – was never seen holding a firearm in his hand.In a separate video, Pretti is believed to have stepped in to defend a woman who was allegedly pushed to the ground by an officer. It is at this point that he is repeatedly sprayed with a chemical agent and tackled to the ground.
More witness videos show agents surrounding Pretti as one officer allegedly reaches down before stepping back with what is believed to be a gun. Seconds later, shots are fired.
A fundraiser that declares Pretti an ‘American Hero’ has now been set up to support Pretti’s loved ones.
With a target of $20,000, the page has now received over $1.5 million in donations, including $10,000 from billionaire Bill Ackman, which his reps confirmed to the Wall Street Journal on Sunday evening (January 25).
He also confirmed over on X in a response to a tweet asking for his donation, to which he replied: « Done. That said, I don’t agree with the GoFundMe that he is an American hero, but his loss is tragic for him and his family. »
Ackman had previously donated $10,000 to a GoFundMe for Jonathan Ross, the ICE officer who shot Good.
