NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, January 25, 2026

Episode Date: January 26, 2026

Minneapolis on edge after second fatal shooting involving federal officers; Witness videos raise questions about shooting that killed Alex Pretti; Massive winter storm brings heavy snow, dangerous cold to millions; and more on tonight’s broadcast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Breaking tonight, the Arctic stretch ahead as a massive winter storm moves into the northeast and the fallout in Minnesota from a second deadly shooting by federal officers. Now! Shut it down! Tonight, the anger and alarm in Minneapolis. Demonstrations in the streets. A day after at least one federal officer shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Prettie. This is an inflection point. And eyewitness videos like these, appearing.

to contradict the account of top Trump administration officials. Moment by moment, what these videos do and do not show. That agent had a split seconds to make a decision. And why the fallout means a government shutdown this week just got more likely. I'm not giving ice or Border Patrol another dime. Plus, the other major story we're tracking tonight. The monster winter storm slamming the east with heavy snow. What was the last time you saw this much snow in Boston?

Not in years. After covering the South in ice, thick enough to snap trees. More than a million people right now without electricity and dangerous cold, moving in for days. This is about as bad as it gets. Plus airline chaos, thousands of flights canceled, the most in one day since the COVID pandemic. Our team is covering it all. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson. Good evening. We'll get to the winter.

winter storm in a moment, but we begin tonight with the fury and the grief across Minneapolis and the country for a second day after at least one federal officer shot and killed a man in Minneapolis, Alex Prattie, an ICU nurse who helped care for veterans being remembered by his family. And tonight, new questions as eyewitness videos show something different than what federal officials say happened in that confrontation. The political fallout now, boosting the chances of a possible government shutdown this week. We're covering it all, starting with Camilla Brannal in Minneapolis. Come on.

Come on. Tonight, tensions flaring. Crowds back out on the streets in Minneapolis. Demanding answers after 37-year-old Alex Pretti was shot and killed by a federal agent Saturday morning. The shooting itself captured by several witnesses. Federal officials say Prattie approached Border Patrol agents armed with this semi-automatic handgun and violently.

resisted attempts to disarm him. The agents, according to DHS, were conducting a targeted operation. We can't have individuals that are impeding law enforcement operations and then showing up with guns and weapons and no ID and confronting law enforcement like that. State and city leaders say what they've seen doesn't match the account. This latest incident coming two and a half weeks after the fatal shooting of Renee Good. This is an inflection point, America. So my question is, what's the plan, Donald Trump? What is the plan? Sisters Andrea and Stacey Saros arrived at the scene immediately after the shooting. What is it that makes you emotional?

Because why this is not necessary. Be here. I don't know how these people sit there. And in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court against DHS Secretary Christy Knoem and other Department of Homeland Security officials, a pediatrician filed a sworn affidavit declaring that, Instead of administering CPR to Preti, the agents appeared to be counting his bullet wounds. DHS did not reply to our request for comment Sunday, but has said medics immediately tended to Prattie. His family says he was an ICU nurse at a VA hospital in Minneapolis, remembering him

as a kind-hearted soul and a good man. He cared about people deeply, and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis. We love this country, but he hated what people were doing to it. Predi's parents rejecting the administration's claim, their son was a threat, as calls grow louder for federal officers to leave the city. Camilla joins us now from that memorial in Minneapolis. And Camilla, it appears DHS is taking the lead on this investigation, right? Yeah, Halley, and it is unusual.

We now know that DHS is taking the lead with assistance from the FBI. and DOJ, according to two sources familiar with this. But because this agent was part of Customs and Border Protection, which is DHS, normally the FBI would be leading a case like this. Halley? Camilla Bonal, thank you. That investigation may include some of the images captured by eyewitnesses that appear to contradict some of what federal officials have described. Our Morgan Chesky has a closer look. Tonight, new videos raising questions of what exactly happened in the lead-up to Alex Pretti's death.

The Trump administration now doubling down on defense of the officers involved. Federal officials saying agents acted in self-defense. The Department of Homeland Security posting that pretty approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun. When he did that interacting with those agents, when they tried to get him to disengage, he became aggressive and resisted them throughout that process. These officers used their training, followed their protocol, and were in fear of their lives and the people around them.

And that's how this tragedy unfolded. At least five separate witness videos appear to show a different or contradicting sequence of events. Footage seen from a sidewalk, the street, inside a store, and from a car just feet away. Videos show federal agents shoving a person with Pretti then stepping in. That's when an agent pepper sprays him in the face while Pretti clutches. his phone. Seconds later, several agents wrestle Preddy to the ground, or videos do not appear to show him brandishing a weapon, as DHS had stated. This angle showing an officer swing something at Preddy's head. Pushing in on this video, you can see one agent reach behind

Prattie, appearing to remove a gun from his waistband. As someone yells, gun, that same agent appears to step away, and about a second later, the first shot is fine. Followed by a flurry of gunshots. Pulling an ambulance, please. I think the key detail is, were the agents under the imminent threat of death or great bodily harm? And nowhere in that video does it show that he pointed a gun at them, brandished a gun at them. There's no piece where you can see him reaching for the gun. Local officials say Prattie was a lawful gun owner with a permit for concealed carry.

Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino asked about this earlier. Did the officers see the web? They see him brandishing the weapon at him. Sure. Many videos out there, many different accounts that you may see, all those minute details that will paint a true picture, not a freeze frame, not a freeze frame concept, and paint a larger picture of what really happened.

That is why we investigate so we can get to the truth so there's not speculation. Meanwhile, there are a growing memorial in Minneapolis tonight. What do you see when you watch those videos? An execution. An absolute execution. There's no, every angle shows it. And they continue to fire bullets at him while his body was lifeless on the ground. And tonight regarding those officers involved in the death of Alex Pretti,

Commander Greg Bovino saying today that they have all been relocated out of state out of concerns they would be docks and or harassed saying that none have been placed on administrative leave and all continue to work. Howley. Morgan Chesky, thank you. Here in Washington, some lawmakers say they won't back funding for the Department of Homeland Security, setting up a showdown ahead of this week's deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown. Here's Monica Alba.

Washington divided tonight on how to respond to the killing of another U.S. citizen by federal agents, increasing the odds of a partial government shutdown later this week. The way that this agency has been functioning is completely against every tenant of law enforcement. A growing number of Democrats saying they will not vote for a government spending bill that includes DHS funding. I'm not giving ICE or Border Patrol another dime, given how this agency, these agencies are operating. And the political debate widening over the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, since local officials say Alex Preti had a permit to carry his firearm. Groups like the gun owners of America defending the 37-year-old's right to bear arms while protesting,

calling it a right the federal government must not infringe upon. administration officials claiming that doesn't always apply. You cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It's that simple. Those rights don't count when you riot and assault, delay, obstruct, and impede law enforcement officers, and most especially when you mean to do that beforehand. Today, more than 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies, including Target, Best Buy, and General Mills, signing on to a letter, calling for an immediate de-escalation of tensions

and for state, local, and federal officials to work together to find real solutions. Monica joins us now from the White House, and Monica, Minnesota's governor wants President Trump to pull federal officers out of Minneapolis, but the president late today is making clear he is not backing off his immigration crackdown. Not at all. A senior White House official telling me that the president plans to push forward with his immigration enforcement policy despite the growing backlash, and the president is making that clear and demands tonight for Minnesota's governor and the mayor of Minneapolis, blaming the Democrats and saying they must formally cooperate with the Trump

administration and asking specifically for local police to assist federal agents on the ground. Howie? Monica Alba, thank you. To our other big story tonight, that huge winter storm affecting states from New Mexico to Massachusetts, with heavy snow and ice triggering more than a million power outages and counting and dangerous cold settling in for days. We begin our coverage with Aaron McLaughlin. Tonight, the deadly monster storm gripping the country is moving east, having already frozen out the south,

killing at least three in Louisiana and Texas from hypothermia, according to officials. Now New England is in the bullseye. This is a storm that's going to pick up really quickly with up to three inches of snowfall an hour and two feet in the forecast. It's going to come down heavy, so just be prepared, get your food, get your warm clothes, on, stay inside. Tonight, more than 136 million Americans under winter alerts after emergency declarations across 23 states. The toughest part of the storm is right now.

And an all-out effort to keep the nation's roads safe. Roads are bad. Very slippery. There's a couple of times we swerved off. From icy spinouts and pile-ups like this one in Missouri. Nearly 80 crashes counted in Indiana alone, including this harrowing rescue. First responders saved a driver from a snowy, pond. And in the Bronx, total gridlock. While in Texas, ice is the main issue, creating a

treacherous mess. NBC's Ron Chandler is there. The highways across North Texas are nearly empty, but for those who do try and brave these icy conditions, they can be traps. We're seeing roads like this closed across the region because that bridge up there is pure ice. Nationwide, more than 11,000 flights canceled, airports empty, and more than a million households without power. With this tree snapping in New Mexico, and sparks flying from this size covered power line in Tennessee, and another tree taking out this home in Knoxville. Today, parts of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida on tornado watch, while other southern states are in the unusual position of having to dig out. Candace Sweat is from our NBC Dallas station. Oklahoma City hit with nearly six inches of

snow since Friday. Yesterday, the city broke the daily snowfall record with 4.4 inches. State officials telling us extreme cold is the main concern over the next two days. Tonight, the urgent message to everyone in the storm's path, stay home and hunker down. When was the last time you saw this much snow in Boston? Not in years. Erin is joining us now from Boston. And Aaron, you are in the thick of it. It looks like it's literally snowing sideways. That's right, Halley. And it's It's been like this for hours. The snow is expected to continue through tomorrow. The hope is things will be back on track by Tuesday.

Hallie. Erin McLaughlin, thank you. Let's bring in Kathy Park in Tennessee now where more than 300,000 people don't have power. And Kathy, it could be a while before Cruz were able to get the lights back on. Hallie, that's right. The extreme cold combined with a freezing rain and snow caused a lot of problems across the state of Tennessee. bursting pipes like this one here in Memphis and snapping power lines and hard hit national hundreds of thousands of customers are without power crews are working 14-hour shifts to make repairs

across several counties they are up against a treacherous conditions on the roadways as well as dealing with other hazards however the good news is teams from Memphis and beyond are headed that way to offer mutual aid this will be a multi-day event hally kathy park thank you meteorologist Bill Cairns is tracking the storm for us. Okay, Bill, even once the snow stops and the sleet and the freezing rain, the risk is certainly not even close to over. Yeah, for days we're going to be dealing with the cold aftermath. We'll get to that in a second.

First things, northern Mississippi from Oxford all the way to Nashville, hardest hit ice areas. You're finally done. But now we're watching that freezing rain developing from upstate South Carolina right along the I-95 corridors. So from Raleigh to Richmond, the D.C. A coating of ice. Probably not enough for a lot of power outages,

but very dangerous over the next. couple hours if you're outside. Then the snowstorm. This is epic, even by New England standards. This will likely end up being the biggest snowfall in a couple years. Albany, New York, possibly up to two feet. Boston, up to two feet. And with those winds you saw with Aaron, we're going to see snow drifts of three to four feet come tomorrow. As far as the cold goes, tomorrow morning, near record lows, Houston, 24, for everyone without power around the Nashville area, eight degrees. So we're getting dangerous with anyone trying to stay in their unheated homes. And it's not like it's going to let up. It doesn't get above freezing at Nashville until we get to Tuesday.

And that's only 34 degrees for a high. Then it dips back down below that. So we get very cold air masks, one after another. No huge warm-up in sight for the eastern half of the country. But, Halley, there's no snowstorms or ice storms either, but we're in the deep freeze. Yeah, get ready for it. Bill Cairns, thank you. As you might imagine, this storm has canceled thousands of flights across the country. Valerie, Castro is at Newark Airport for us tonight.

And Valerie, even after things clear up, it may take a while for flight schedules to get back to normal. Yeah, and Hallie, there are very few people here at Newark Airport tonight, but there are still some flights scheduled to take off. But across the country, there were more than 11,000 flights canceled today. That's the most in any given day since the pandemic. Some airports like LaGuardia were completely shut down. But however, travelers will be making their way across the country in just a matter of days. And travel experts say airlines preemptively canceled flights for a couple of reasons. So travelers wouldn't be stranded at airports.

and it also gave airlines a chance to get their crews and operations back in place so they could be ready to go once the storm clears out. However, it still could take a couple of days for things to get back to normal. Hallie. Valerie Castro, thank you. Still ahead for us tonight, how a dramatic crash and grab at a jewelry store. Look at that. Ended up with suspects under arrest. We are tracking several other stories this evening, including a new push by the Israeli military inside Gaza today.

The IDF has been carrying out with the prime minister calls a large, scale operation for the remains of the last Israeli hostage missing in Gaza. It comes as the prime minister's office said the country would reopen Gaza's Rafa crossing with Egypt, a critical access point for humanitarian aid, only after that operation is completed. Here at home, a dramatic scene at a jewelry store in Anaheim, California. Look at this. They're smashing a car into the store. They did it a couple of times. They jump out, start grabbing stuff before taking off in two different cars, but these thieves didn't get very far. Both cars apparently crashed during the getaway with at least seven suspects captured by police. And a big day on the court and on the

slopes for two superstar women at the Australian Open. Cocoa Golf won her match today, moving on to the quarterfinals. And for Michaela Schifrin, a new ski record as she wins her ninth slalom title setting the stage for her appearance in the Winter Olympics, which you know starts soon airing right here on NBC. When we come back, there is good news tonight about the special program helping kids glide to glory. There is good news tonight about hitting your stride to find true community. Scarlett Heilinger couldn't walk, but with special skates and her family by her side, she's learned to glide. Scarlett is one of about 70 skaters near Buffalo, New York, who are part of gliding stars.

The program is for anybody that has a social, emotional, mental, invisible disability. Miranda Fiore helps run the program. Some of our autistic skaters really struggle socially, so we try to help them to grow in that aspect. For skaters that typically cannot walk, we will try to get them to get more strength in their legs, in their ankles. Many use special equipment, like five-year-old Scarlet, who has a rare condition called hereditary spastic paraplegia, making the muscles in her legs really stiff. Her mom, Pamela, says skating changed their life. Her goal when we started skating was just to try to stand

in the walker. She's gotten to the point now where she'll skate away from us. Are we gliding on yellow light? Courtney Reynolds started skating when she was five, when she struggled with respiratory and pancreatic issues and selective mutism, meaning she generally didn't speak. My entire life was spent in the hospital, and when I was in school, I didn't talk. But skating helped her find her voice. Week after week, they pushed me to do a little bit more. Now she volunteers, teaching the next generation of skaters, including her two boys. Pumpkin.

Watching my own children, learn to skate, learn to grow, and become better people specifically because they're here, that's beyond rewarding. Scarlet. Making strides on and off the ice, one step at a time. She's giggling and laughing and running across the ice, which is the greatest feeling in the world to watch her be that happy and that free. Great to watch indeed. That is nightly news for this Sunday. Tom will be back tomorrow. I'm Hallie Jackson. For all of us here at NBC, Thanks for watching and have a great week.