Johnny Joey Jones, a military analyst and co-host on Fox News’ “The Five,” said on the show’s “This Is the End of the Story” episode that the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis could have been prevented by Pretti’s own actions.
Jones, speaking on “The Five” on Fox News, cited firearm permit requirements and conduct during law enforcement operations in discussing the case. “One restriction is you have to have your I.D. and a permit on you,” Jones said. “Current reports are he didn’t have either on, at which point he’s not carrying legally.”
Jones: I’m a second amendment absolutist. It is a right. Those rights come with restrictions. One of those restrictions is you have to have your ID and permit on you. Reports are he didn’t have either one. At that point, he’s not carrying legally. pic.twitter.com/iA3FSMZixo
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 26, 2026
He said that carrying a firearm carries responsibilities and that individuals should avoid inserting themselves into active law enforcement operations. “There is only one person in this world that could absolutely have prevented Pretti from getting shot and that’s Pretti,” Jones said.
Jones said he did not believe Pretti should have been shot but argued that officers are trained to respond when they believe they are at risk. “Do I think he should have been shot? No,” he said. “Because I see 10 things that happened before that happened that could have been handled differently.”
He said Pretti should not have entered the area of the operation while armed and described the circumstances as unsafe.
Jones also said an investigation could determine whether the agent acted improperly. “There might even be a federal agent that goes to jail because some jury or a federal investigation decides he acted prematurely or shot him and shouldn’t have,” he said.
Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, was shot and killed during a federal law enforcement operation in the city. Video footage and reporting show Pretti was observing and recording as agents approached, but the circumstances of the shooting have been widely disputed.
