- Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was fatally shot by immigration agents in Minneapolis
- His parents described him as a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for veterans
- Immigration officers shot Pretti during a struggle when they tried to confiscate his licensed handgun
The 37-year-old killed by immigration agents in the latest incident in Minneapolis was a nurse who treated sick veterans, said his family and colleagues, mourning the "kindhearted soul" who found happiness in helping others. Alex Pretti was shot dead by federal agents during an immigration operation less than a month after another fatal shooting in Minneapolis.
A US citizen born in Illinois, he worked as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Centre. He deeply cared about his family, friends, and the American veterans, said his parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, who live in Colorado.
"Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact," they said in a statement.
He supported critically ill veterans, said Dr Dimitri Drekonja, a co-worker of Pretti, describing him as "a good, kind person who lived to help." He used to research preventing veterans from dying from colon cancer, CNN cited Dr Drekonja as saying.
On Saturday, immigration officers wrestled Pretti to the ground during an immigration operation. They fired in self-defence when he "violently resisted" officers who tried to snatch a handgun from him, said the Department of Homeland Security.
Watch: "What Did You Do?" Videos Show Chilling Moments During Minneapolis Shooting
His parents denied the claim that he was a threat to the agents and said he was a "good man". "The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting," they said, adding that Pretti was trying to protect a woman near the agents.
The handgun was licensed, and Pretti faced no criminal charges in the state, local police said.
Pretti's family said he started participating in the protests against the immigration crackdown after a woman was shot dead by agents earlier this month. During a recent chat with him, his parents had asked him to be careful when protesting.
"He cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the US with ICE, as millions of other people are upset," his father told AP.
