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On Sunday, various sports leagues, teams and figures, including Steve Kerr and Breanna Stewart, addressed the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis.
The Minnesota Timberwolves' Saturday game against the Golden State Warriors at Target Center was postponed to Sunday in light of the shooting and following protests in Minneapolis. Before the game was played, the Timberwolves held a moment of silence for Pretti, the same as they did earlier in January when 37-year-old Renee Good was fatally shot by ICE agents.
The National Basketball Players' Association was another organization that released a statement on the shootings in Minneapolis, writing that "NBA players can no longer remain silent."
Here are the statements released by Minnesota sports teams, the NBPA and more about the fatal shootings in Minneapolis.
Minnesota sports teams, NBPA statements on Minneapolis
Timberwolves' game postponed, team holds moment of silence
On Saturday, a scheduled matchup between the Timberwolves and Warriors was postponed after Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis.
“The decision was made to prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community,” the NBA said in a statement.
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/zETGHzpYX5
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 24, 2026Then, before Sunday's rescheduled game, the Timberwolves held a pregame moment of silence for Pretti. The team did the same for Renee Good earlier in January.
Moment of silence held for Alex Pretti before today’s game. pic.twitter.com/qzbAVlFxVh
— Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) January 25, 2026Chris Finch
On Saturday, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch also addressed the fatal shooting in Minneapolis.
"For the second time in less than three weeks, we've lost another member of our community in the most unimaginable way," Finch said. "As an organization, we are heartbroken for what we are having to witness and endure and watch."
Here is Chris Finch's opening statement prior to his pregame media availability on the shooting in Minneapolis on Saturday.
"For the second time in less than three weeks, we've lost another member of our community in the most unimaginable way." pic.twitter.com/mWRhBchC3W
Steve Kerr
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who was in Minneapolis to take on the Timberwolves this weekend, also addressed the shooting. Kerr has previously spoken out about gun violence in the United States.
"There should be an appeal to our better angels to look after one another and to recognize what's happening. We're being divided by media for profit, by misinformation. There's so much out there that is really difficult for all of us to reconcile," Kerr said. "In times like these, you have to lean on values and who you are and who you want to be -- either as an individual or as a country. And I think that's the biggest thing."
Here's Steve Kerr when asked what the path moving forward is for the country...
"There should be an appeal to our better angels to look after one another and to recognize what's happening. We're being divided by media for profit, by misinformation. There's so much out there that… pic.twitter.com/kOzFi3LvsZ
NBPA
The National Basketball Player's Association, the player's union for the NBA, released a statement on Sunday evening about the Minneapolis shooting.
"Following the news of yet another fatal shooting in Minneapolis, a city that has been on the forefront of the fight against injustices, NBA players can no longer remain silent," the statement read. "Now more than ever, we must defend the right to freedom of speech and stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota protesting and risking their lives to demand justice.
"The fraternity of NBA players, like the United States itself, is a community enriched by its global citizens, and we refuse to let the flames of division threaten the civil liberties that are meant to protect us all. The NBPA and its members extend our deepest condolences to the families of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, just as our thoughts remain focused on the safety and well-being of all members of our community."
Statement from the NBPA and its Executive Committee on the Fatal Shooting in Minneapolis by ICE.
“There comes a time when silence is betrayal” -MLK pic.twitter.com/ka6CjhfHBb
Minnesota sports CEOs sign on statement calling for "immediate deescalation of tensions"
On Sunday, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce released a letter on behalf of dozens of CEOs of Minnesota-based companies. The statement said that "the recent challenges facing our state have created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life," and that the CEOs were calling for "an immediate deescalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions."
Representatives of the Vikings, Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx, Minnesota United FC and the Minnesota Wild were included on the letter.
NEW: The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce released this letter on behalf of more than 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies today. https://t.co/n4x7yJGoJv pic.twitter.com/uzXg0tzjIm
— Minnesota Chamber of Commerce (@MN_Chamber) January 25, 2026Breanna Stewart
During player introductions of her Unrivaled matchup in Miami on Sunday, WNBA All-Star Breanna Stewart held up a sign that said "Abolish ICE."
"I was just disgusted from everything that you see on Instagram and in the news," Stewart said, per USA Today. "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."
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) January 25, 2026Minneapolis shooting details
ICE agents were originally dispatched to Minneapolis and St. Paul in early December for an operation organized by President Donald Trump's administration. On Saturday, federal agents shot and killed a 37-year-old man, Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis, the second person to be fatally shot in the city during the administration's immigration crackdown in the area, per BBC.
According to BBC, Pretti was a U.S. citizen who lived in Minneapolis and worked as a nurse, and videos showed "a scuffle between Border Patrol agents and the man in the lead up to the shooting," while The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said "the agents fired in self-defense after Pretti, who they say had a handgun, resisted their attempts to disarm him." However, eyewitnesses, local officials and the victim's family have challenged that account, per BBC.
Pretti's death followed the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis.
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