WASHINGTON — Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar pressed FBI Director Kash Patel Tuesday about the federal investigations into the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two Minneapolis residents who were killed during protests surrounding the federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota earlier this year.
The questioning came during a nearly five-hour Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing in which senators from both parties questioned Patel about the FBI’s leadership, investigations and policies.
Klobuchar focused part of her questioning on whether the FBI would provide meaningful information to the families of Good and Pretti and whether federal authorities would cooperate with other agencies investigating the shootings.
Klobuchar seeks answers about the Minnesota shootings
Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was fatally shot in her vehicle in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, 2026, while leaving a protest connected to the federal immigration enforcement operation.
Pretti, also 37, was an intensive-care nurse who was fatally shot on Jan. 24 during another protest in Minneapolis.
The deaths prompted investigations by Minnesota authorities as well as federal agencies and became a major point of contention over the relationship between federal immigration authorities and state investigators.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Klobuchar asked Patel whether the FBI would support criminal investigations into the shootings and whether the families would receive information about the status of those investigations.
Patel told the senator that the FBI would support the investigations regardless of which agency was leading them.
“We will fully support all those investigations,” Patel said, according to CBS News.
Patel also agreed to provide meaningful information to the families about the status of the investigations.
Dispute over evidence
The questioning comes after months of disagreement between federal and Minnesota authorities over access to evidence from the shootings.
In July, federal prosecutors turned over key evidence requested by Minnesota investigators, including hard drives containing statements and police body-camera video. Federal authorities also transferred Good’s damaged SUV to Minnesota investigators.
The evidence had been sought by Minnesota officials as part of their investigations.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty previously said that investigators needed access to all relevant evidence to conduct a complete examination of the shootings. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison also criticized the length of time it took for federal officials to provide the material.
The evidence transfer came amid legal disputes between Minnesota and the federal government over access to investigative materials.
Patel says the FBI will support officer-involved shooting investigations
Klobuchar also asked Patel more broadly about investigations into shootings involving law-enforcement officers.
According to CBS News, Patel said the FBI would support timely and thorough investigations of officer-involved shootings when the bureau is the lead agency.
The exchange highlighted the unusual circumstances surrounding the Minneapolis investigations, which involve federal personnel and have required cooperation between federal and state authorities.
The FBI director’s commitment came as Minnesota officials continue examining what happened in the two deadly encounters.
A contentious hearing
The Good and Pretti investigations were only a small part of a much broader hearing.
Patel faced questions from senators about the FBI’s hiring standards, personnel decisions, investigations connected to former President Donald Trump, election security and the bureau’s handling of other controversial matters.
The hearing lasted nearly five hours, with Democratic and Republican senators raising different concerns about the direction of the FBI under Patel.
Republican committee members highlighted FBI crime statistics and other enforcement efforts under Patel’s leadership, while Democratic senators questioned personnel changes and the handling of politically sensitive investigations.
The discussion of Good and Pretti nevertheless brought the hearing back to Minnesota and to two cases that remain closely watched by their families and state officials.
What happens next?
The investigations into the deaths remain ongoing.
Minnesota investigators now have key evidence previously sought from federal authorities, but questions remain about the investigative process and how federal and state agencies will coordinate going forward.
For the families of Good and Pretti, Tuesday’s exchange provided a public commitment from the FBI director that the bureau would support criminal investigations and provide information about their status.
Whether that commitment results in additional cooperation or answers in the cases will depend on the ongoing investigations.
For Minnesota lawmakers, the issue is likely to remain a significant point of scrutiny as authorities continue working to establish the circumstances surrounding the two deaths.
