A still of verified footage showing a moment when a U.S. immigration agent pointed a gun at the head of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis has been altered to highlight an unknown object in Pretti’s right hand. The edited image went viral, with many online speculating it was a gun.
One online post, opens new tab furthering the misleading narrative said, “This is a photo of Alex Pretti frozen. Notice his right hand holding a gun.”
Advertisement · Scroll to continue
<img src=”data:;base64,” />
Reuters Image
Other posts shared the altered image to criticize, opens new tab the shooting, characterizing, opens new tab it as an execution.
The image, however, has visual inconsistencies suggesting the use of AI, including that a kneeling agent is headless.
The altered scene does not match, opens new tab the details of a similar frame from authentic bystander video verified by Reuters.
J. Rosenbaum, an AI researcher, opens new tab at RMIT University in Melbourne, told Reuters the viral image is AI.
In an email, Rosenbaum pointed to other visual inconsistencies, such as an oddly shaped beanie worn by one of the agents and another having a mismatched sleeve.
The headless kneeling agent also appears to be holding a firearm in “a very impractical way in an undefined gloved hand,” Rosenbaum noted, adding that the “contraption” worn by that figure appears to be poorly defined.
Advertisement · Scroll to continue
<img src=”data:;base64,” />
The Department of Homeland Security characterized the shooting as self-defense by a Border Patrol agent, saying that shots were fired because Pretti approached with a handgun and violently resisted attempts to disarm him. Pretti’s death marks the second fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen in Minnesota this month.
Earlier footage of the scene obtained and verified by Reuters shows Pretti holding a phone in his hand as he tried to aid a protester who was pushed to the ground by an agent.
The White House said on January 26 that President Donald Trump does not want to see people getting hurt or killed on the streets of the U.S. but will not back down from efforts to deport “violent criminal illegal aliens” from Minnesota.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Minneapolis Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
News
Kouri Richins Breaks Her Silence at Sentencing—Six Words and a 6-Minute Video Leave the Entire Courtroom Frozen… Then HORRIFIED
Six Words, Six Minutes, and a Courtroom in Shock: The Sentencing of Kouri Richins In a courtroom already heavy with anticipation, the sentencing hearing of Kouri Richins took a turn that few present would forget. What was expected to be a procedural conclusion to a high-profile murder case instead became a moment of intense emotional […]
Was It Really Her? Kouri Richins’ Arrest Takes Dark Turn as Online Leak Suggests Another Person May Be Involved in Husband’s Death
Dating Profile Leak, Arrest Shock, and Explosive Allegations: The Controversial Case of Kouri Richins In a case that has already drawn intense public attention, the story of Utah widow and former real estate agent Kouri Richins has taken another dramatic turn. Following her arrest in connection with the death of her husband, new controversies have […]
Kouri Richins’ Dating Profile LEAKED After Arrest—Was Her Secret Lover Actually Behind Her Husband’s Mysterious Death?
Dating Profile Leak, Arrest Shock, and Explosive Allegations: The Controversial Case of Kouri Richins In a case that has already drawn intense public attention, the story of Utah widow and former real estate agent Kouri Richins has taken another dramatic turn. Following her arrest in connection with the death of her husband, new controversies have […]
Kouri Richins Gets Life Without Parole as Her Sons Utter THREE DECISIVE WORDS That Changed Everything, Revealing How She Treated Her Family for Years
KOURI RICHINS SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE AFTER SONS UTTER THREE WORDS THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING In a courtroom filled with tension, grief, and an almost unbearable silence, the fate of Kouri Richins was sealed in a moment no one present will ever forget. What had already been a deeply disturbing case took an even darker […]
Unexpected twist: Kouri Richins collapses emotionally at sentencing as a 333-word letter is revealed, her sister insisting she was WRONGLY ACCUSED and has DECISIVE EVIDENCE — will the case be reopened?
Kouri Richins Breaks Down in Court as Brother Reads Emotional 333-Word Letter Claiming Her Innocence — Could New Evidence Reopen the Case? In a dramatic and emotionally charged courtroom scene that left many in tears, Kouri Richins broke down sobbing during her sentencing hearing today after her brother read aloud a powerful 333-word letter written […]
Latest: Kouri Richins breaks down in tears in court as her brother reads a 333-word letter from her sister, claiming she is 100% WRONGFULLY ACCUSED and holding CRUCIAL EVIDENCE — is the case about to be reopened?
Kouri Richins Breaks Down in Court as Brother Reads Emotional 333-Word Letter Claiming Her Innocence — Could New Evidence Reopen the Case? In a dramatic and emotionally charged courtroom scene that left many in tears, Kouri Richins broke down sobbing during her sentencing hearing today after her brother read aloud a powerful 333-word letter written […]
End of content
No more pages to load
