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Former President Barack Obama has issued a rare, pointed statement following the death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis ICU nurse and military veteran who was fatally shot during a confrontation with federal agents. Obama’s remarks, released January 25, 2026, frame the killing as more than a single incident, arguing it reflects a dangerous breakdown in accountability and restraint in federal law enforcement operations.
In his statement, Obama called the shooting “a heartbreaking tragedy” and warned that the country’s core values are increasingly “under assault,” urging Americans across political lines to treat what happened as a wake-up call. It was one of his most direct public criticisms of a sitting president since leaving office, and his comments placed responsibility not only on individual actors but on the broader approach and messaging coming from the Trump administration.
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