ISTANBUL

A US Border Patrol officer shot and killed an armed individual wanted for "violent assault" during a targeted operation in Minneapolis on Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security said.

The agency said the incident happened in the morning at 9.05 am local time (1505GMT) and noted the individual approached officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.

Officers attempted to disarm the suspect, who "violently resisted," according to the statement on the US social media company X.

"Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots," it said, adding medics delivered immediate medical aid, but the individual was pronounced dead at the scene.

The suspect also carried two magazines and had no identification, officials said.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara identified the man as a 37-year-old white male resident believed to be an American citizen. O’Hara said the man had only traffic violations on record and was believed to be a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.

A video circulating on social media showed several agents struggling to detain a person they had forced to the ground. In the footage, some officers appeared to punch and kick the individual as a gunshot was heard.

Local, federal officials demand the termination of ICE operations

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he spoke with the White House following “another horrific shooting” incident.

He labeled the situation as "sickening" and issued an urgent demand for the administration to shut down the operation and immediately withdraw the thousands of "violent, untrained officers" from Minnesota.

In a separate statement, Walz said he requested that the state, rather than federal agencies, lead the investigation.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey questioned how many more deaths would be needed “for this operation to end,” urging President Donald Trump to withdraw federal agents and restore safety in the city.

Expressing his outrage, Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin demanded the agency be removed from the state at once.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned what he described as “masked and lawless DHS agents,” accusing the Trump administration of unleashing “carnage on the streets” and calling for those responsible to be held “criminally accountable to the full extent of the law.”

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said local police were unable to carry out their duties with children hiding and schools closed due to federal operations. She demanded to “get ICE out of Minnesota now” and urged congressional Republicans to “stop your silence and stop being complicit.”

The Border Patrol Union, which represents US Border Patrol agents, rejected claims that officers were untrained, saying agents are “trained extremely well to protect themselves, their fellow agents, and innocent third parties.”

Tensions have intensified in the state amid the administration's immigration crackdown following allegations that Minnesota was involved in large-scale fraud linked to publicly subsidized day care centers, claims local officials denied.

The situation worsened after an ICE officer fatally shot an American citizen in Minneapolis.

US President Donald Trump defended aggressive enforcement tactics by immigration agents on Tuesday, acknowledging officers can be excessively forceful but justifying their actions due to the dangers involved.