A number of prominent US sports stars have condemned the killing of a registered nurse, Alex Pretti, by federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday.

Pretti, 37, is the second person shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis in less than three weeks as protests over Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown sweep the city. Senior Trump administration officials have claimed Pretti intended to “massacre” federal officers with a handgun but video of the killing appears to contradict those claims.

Two-time NBA All-star Tyrese Haliburton, one of the best young players in the league, posted about the killing on Saturday. “Alex Pretti was murdered,” the Indiana Pacers guard wrote.

There were strong reactions from the WNBA. Two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart held a sign reading “ABOLISH ICE” before her team’s game in Unrivaled, the league she co-founded. Another WNBA star, Angel Reese, posted “Praying for our country” on X.

Stewart later expanded on her decision to hold the sign. “We’re so fueled by hate right now instead of love, so I wanted to have a simple message of ‘Abolish ICE,’ which means having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence,” she said.

Stewart said her wife, Marta Xargay, is in the process of applying for US citizenship and the immigration crackdown has become a personal issue.

“It’s scary. You see it on social media, you see it splitting up families and dissecting communities and kids are being involved. It’s the worst in all ways,” Stewart said. “And to be married to Marta ... we’re working to get her citizenship, and she is a legal permanent resident and all of that. But it seems like it doesn’t matter. And I think that that’s why these policies need to be put in place, that reform needs to happen, because it doesn’t seem to be affecting the right people. It’s not helping anybody.”

NFL stars also reacted to the shooting. Former Steelers safety Ryan Clark, who won a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh and is now a broadcaster, paid tribute to Pretti on X. “Rest Easy Alex Pretti. Bro was a hero. Prayers to his family & loved ones. Senseless death… AGAIN!!” Clark wrote.

Dwight McGlothern Jr, a cornerback for Minneapolis’s NFL team, the Minnesota Vikings, has regularly posted on the recent unrest and did so again on Saturday. “It’s not right what’s happening in Minnesota,” he wrote.

NFL hall of famer Alan Page denied he been protesting against the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis this week. Images circulating on social media appeared to show the 80-year-old, who spent much of his career with the Vikings, among protesters. However, Page later said the images were not of him although he said he understood the reasons behind the protests.

“People are in the streets because they are frustrated, in my opinion,” he told The Athletic. “And they are frustrated because of this gratuitous violence that isn’t necessary to accomplish whatever the stated goal may be.”

Meanwhile, Minnesota’s major professional sports teams – the Vikings, Wild (NHL), Timberwolves (NBA), Lynx (WNBA) and Minnesota United FC (MLS) – joined dozens of the state’s business in calling for a peaceful resolution.

“With yesterday’s tragic news, we are calling for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions,” an open letter from the organizations reads.

NBA figures also spoke out after federal officers shot and killed another US citizen, Renee Good, earlier this month.

“It’s shameful, really, that in our country we can have law enforcement officers who commit murder and seemingly get away with it,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after Good’s death.

• This article was amended on 26 January 2026 to include Alan Page’s clarification that images of him at the Minnesota protests were false.