Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA, joined anti-ICE protests Saturday morning at 26th Street and Let Avenue. Federal agents shot him dead around 11 a.m., marking the second such fatality this month after Renee Good’s killing two weeks prior.
Pretti held a valid Minnesota firearms permit and carried a handgun legally, but the family insists videos show him with a phone, aiding fellow demonstrators.
Chaos followed fast. Hundreds marched through south Minneapolis, facing tear gas and flash bangs from officers dispersing the crowd. Local rapper Nur-D faced rough detention nearby, and reporter Jana Shortal reported being shoved and pepper-sprayed.
Governor Tim Walz called it sickening, urging President Trump to pull thousands of agents from the state right away.
This stems from Operation Metro Surge, a Trump push netting claims of 10,000 arrests since his January 2025 inauguration. Protests boiled over after Good’s death, with businesses shuttering on Friday in a no-work, no-shop strike across the Twin Cities. Walz activated the National Guard amid fears of more violence.
Feds vs. State: Probe Battle Heats Up
Authorities clashed over the scene. Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension arrived with a judge-signed warrant, only for federal agents to block access and allegedly remove items. Superintendent Drew Evans slammed the move, while Walz vowed a state-led investigation, doubting federal accounts.
Trump fired back on Truth Social, posting gun photos from the site and accusing Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey of inciting insurrection with weak policing.
Alex Pretti (Credit: BBC)
He questioned why locals stayed on the sidelines as agents faced a “confrontational crowd.” DHS labeled Pretti a domestic terrorist, a tag his parents called sickening lies, contradicted by bystander footage.
A Minnesota judge slapped a temporary restraining order on federal agencies to preserve evidence. AG Keith Ellison vowed legal fights to boot ICE and Border Patrol statewide. Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, pledged to block DHS funding bills lacking ICE reforms.
Protests Swell as Raids Roll On
Sunday vigils drew crowds chanting Pretti’s name at the shooting spot, blending grief with calls to halt raids. Hundreds of businesses stayed closed, and events were canceled as resistance grew statewide. Doctors and friends hailed Pretti’s sharp mind and love for the outdoors, painting him far from the agitator the feds described.
Mayor Frey pushed for court relief to end the “harmful operation,” while cold snaps did little to chill turnout. Walz’s White House plea went unanswered publicly, but tensions spiked with every flashbang echo.
Raids continue, pitting Trump’s deportation drive against sanctuary-city pushback in a flashpoint city. Pretti’s family seeks truth amid dueling narratives, as Minnesota braces for whatever comes next on these frozen streets. One nurse’s stand became a rallying cry, drawing national attention to the divide.
Picture this: Sal Vulcano, the guy who’s spent years making fans laugh through wild pranks on Impractical Jokers, just wants to hype his new Everything’s Fine Tour. His team drops a straightforward TikTok with tour dates and a poster.
No big deal, right? Except TikTok had other plans. The platform slapped on trending audio from Nick Fuentes, a far-right commentator known for racist rants loaded with slurs against Jewish people, Black people, and women.
The clip hit like a gut punch. Fuentes’ voice droned, “It is what it is,” amid ugly stereotypes, turning Sal’s innocent promo into something toxic. Posted right at the start of 2026, it blew up fast.
Within days, Reddit threads exploded with reactions like “YIKES” and raw shock, while X users shared clips calling it a near-cancel moment. Sal’s known for his over-the-top fears and punishments on the show, from jellyfish pee cures to VR horrors, but this felt like a different real-world mess.
No one saw it coming from the comedian who’s built a career on harmless chaos alongside Murr, Q, and formerly Joe Gatto. The show just hit TBS with fresh episodes, including a January punishment where Sal and Q faced ball-smacking agony. Yet here was Sal, suddenly defending his feed from hate.
Fans Freak, Sal Fires Back
Backlash rolled in quickly. Fans who pack arenas for Impractical Jokers sellouts like Madison Square Garden or London’s O2 couldn’t believe it.
Sal Vulcano (Credit: NBC)
Sal jumped in with a video response that racked up millions of views. He explained his social media crew uploaded the post audio-free, but TikTok auto-added the viral clip because it was trending.
“I thought I got hacked at first,” he said, sounding genuinely thrown. He stressed he’d never touch that content and plans to push TikTok on their algorithm quirks. Other creators chimed in with similar gripes, warning folks to double-check posts.
This hits Sal at a high point. His solo special Terrified topped a million views fast, and the tour’s booking spots, like Pikes Peak Center, were booked in late January 2026. No tour cancellations so far, and the show’s season 12 preps for March. Still, in today’s quick-trigger social scene, one glitch can stain years of laughs.
Platform Glitch or Bigger Problem?
TikTok’s silent on the claims, but Sal’s story spotlights how algorithms push edgy trends without filters. Fuentes’ audio trended despite his extremist label from groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center. Sal urged caution: post carefully, or risk the same trap. BuzzFeed and others reached out to TikTok, but crickets so far.
For Sal, it’s back to basics. He co-founded the No Presh Podcast Network with hits like Hey Babe!, and his Bad Woods Entertainment just wrapped Foul Play with Anthony Davis for 2025 air. Impractical Jokers thrives on TBS, nearing 300 episodes. The TikTok slip hasn’t derailed dates in Fort Myers or Ovation Hall.
One fan on Instagram nailed it: early 2026 ‘cancel bingo’ no one wanted. Sal’s response kept most supporters on board, proving his prankster charm holds up off-screen.
As he tours, expect jokes about this in the set, turning mishap into material, just like always. His Beacon sellouts in NYC show the pull remains strong. In comedy, bounce-back is key, and Sal’s got the track record.
