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Marimar Martinez sues US government over 2025 Border Patrol shooting in Chicago

Marimar Martinez, shot five times by Border Patrol agent Charles Exum in Chicago in October 2025, filed a federal tort lawsuit. Her attorneys cite a commissioned analysis of the bullets' trajectories that they say contradicts the agent's account.

3 outlets · 2L · 0C · 1R First reported Account updated
Image: NBC News
Image: Washington Examiner
Image: The Independent

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The story, neutrally told

Mixed · 2Marimar Martinez, 30, filed a federal civil lawsuit on Monday 5 October 2026 over her shooting by Border Patrol agent Charles Exum in Chicago a year earlier. Mixed · 2The suit is brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which lets people sue the federal government because federal agents cannot be sued directly. Mixed · 2It alleges negligence, battery, assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false arrest, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution; the Washington Examiner says she seeks compensatory damages to be set at trial.

Left · 1The shooting happened during the Trump administration's immigration enforcement surge in Chicago, known as Operation Midway Blitz, while Martinez, a teaching aide at a Montessori school, was in her car. Mixed · 2Her attorneys say an analysis commissioned by their firm, using bullet markings in her vehicle, her wounds and surveillance video, shows Exum was not in front of the car and was not in danger; they say she was driving away from him. Left · 1Attorneys Michael Gallagher and Christopher Parente said one bullet went through the side of the rear passenger-side seat, which they say shows Exum could not have been in front of the car; Gallagher said Exum "charged her" and that the shooting wasn't justified.

Mixed · 2Her lawyers urged the Justice Department and local prosecutors to bring criminal charges against Exum. Left · 1After the shooting, Martinez and another person were charged with using vehicles to ram federal officers, but prosecutors moved to dismiss their own case after more video emerged and after it was revealed that Exum had bragged about the shooting in messages. Left · 1According to Reuters, cited by NBC, Exum wrote in a group chat "I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes"; he later said he is a firearms instructor and takes pride in his shooting skills.

Left · 1The Department of Homeland Security said Exum was placed on administrative leave under policy and referred other questions to the Justice Department, which declined to comment on litigation; Exum wore no body camera. Right · 1Martinez said she wants to spread awareness and cited other shootings of US citizens in immigration enforcement, including Renee Good in Minneapolis; Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D-IL) backed her case.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left2 outlets

Framing
Detailed news report led by the attorneys' bullet-trajectory analysis and the case against Exum's account.
Emphasis
Reconstruction details, Exum's bragging messages, dropped charges, DHS and DOJ responses, absence of body camera.
Leaves out or plays down
No Congress member reaction or Renee Good reference.
Charged language
“Operation Midway Blitz”
For example
“alleged a new analysis of the bullets’ trajectories” — NBC News

Centre0 outlets

No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Right1 outlet

Framing
Shorter report framing it as a suit against the Trump administration, relaying the lawsuit's allegations.
Emphasis
Lawsuit claims, Martinez's quotes, Renee Good comparison, Rep. Garcia's statement.
Leaves out or plays down
Omits Exum's messages, DHS/DOJ responses and bullet-through-seat detail.
Charged language
“falsely claimed”“sues Trump administration”
For example
“has sued the Trump administration over the nonfatal incident” — Washington Examiner