Just a day after 37-year-old Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal agents, former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama publicly condemned the ongoing ICE operations in Minnesota while mourning Pretti’s death. As that statement circulated, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens has now amplified the message, one of many times against what he thinks is unjustified.

“THIS S-IT HAS TO STOP!!” Owens wrote, sharing the former President’s post on his Instagram Story. “#ICEISAJOKE”.

Notably, this comes hours after Obama shared a long statement highlighting the controversy.

“The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault,” it read. “Federal law enforcement and immigration agents have a tough job. But Americans expect them to carry out their duties in a lawful, accountable way, and to work with, rather than against, state and local officials to ensure public safety.

That’s not what we’re seeing in Minnesota. In fact, we’re seeing the opposite. For weeks now, people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that seem designed to intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger the residents of a major American city.

“…I would hope that after this most recent tragedy, administration officials will reconsider their approach, and start finding ways to work constructively with Governor Walz and Mayor Frey as well as state and local police to avert more chaos and achieve legitimate law enforcement goals. In the meantime, every American should support and draw inspiration from the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country. They are a timely reminder that ultimately it’s up to each of us as citizens to speak out against injustice, protect our basic freedoms, and hold our government accountable.”

The incident that the Obamas referred to occurred on January 24, 2026, at approximately 9:05 a.m., near the intersection of Nicollet Avenue in south Minneapolis. According to video footage and witness accounts, federal agents were attempting to enter or approach a restaurant at the location.

Some witnesses said agents pushed a woman to the ground during the interaction. Others, meanwhile, described a crowd gathering as bystanders began recording the scene on their phones. However, multiple reports further indicated that after seeing a woman pushed to the ground, Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and Minneapolis resident, was captured on bystander video holding a phone and filming the officers.

The footage shows him stepping toward the woman and appearing to position himself between her and an agent. Another video later shows Pretti being wrestled to the ground by federal agents. Analysis cited by news outlets showed agents pinning Pretti face down during the struggle.

At one point, an agent appeared to be removing a firearm from Pretti’s possession (local officials have said Pretti was a lawful gun owner and held a permit), with some reports indicating that this removal occurred before additional shots were fired. After Pretti was pinned, multiple shots were discharged. He was later pronounced dead, while officials’ accounts differ on whether the pronouncement was at the scene or at a hospital.

Pretti’s killing was the second fatal shooting in Minnesota this month. The incident followed the death of Renee Good during a separate incident earlier in January. Owens, for his part, had already voiced frustration following Good’s death. With his latest response, the former NFL star aligned himself with the former president and first lady in framing Pretti’s killing as what they described as “a wake-up call.”