- Federal immigration officers fatally shot Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse in Minneapolis
- Pretti, a US citizen and Veterans Affairs employee, was active in immigration protests despite family warnings
- He had no criminal record, owned a licensed handgun, but was not known to carry it during protests
Federal immigration officers shot dead a man on Saturday in Minneapolis, sparking outrage and drawing hundreds of protesters in a city already reeling from another fatal shooting weeks earlier.
The man has been identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old US citizen, intensive care unit (ICU) nurse and Veterans Affairs employee, whose family and colleagues say was deeply committed to serving people and standing up for his community.
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Personal Life
Pretti was born in Illinois and grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He attended Preble High School, where he played football and baseball and ran track. He was a Boy Scout and also sang in the Green Bay Boy Choir.
After graduating from high school, Pretti went on to study at the University of Minnesota. He graduated in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in biology, society and the environment, according to his family. He initially worked as a research scientist before returning to school to become a registered nurse.
At the time of his death, Pretti worked as an ICU nurse for the Veterans Health Administration at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Public records show he earned $90,783 in 2023. On LinkedIn, the University of Minnesota alumnus most recently described himself as a "junior scientist."
"I worked with him daily for years at the VA hospital," Ruth Anway, a Minneapolis-based nurse, told the Daily Mail. "He was an ICU nurse. He worked with veterans. He was a really good guy. He definitely did not deserve to get killed."
Pretti was described by those close to him as an avid outdoorsman who loved adventure. He was also a competitive bicycle racer and took great pride in caring for his Audi.
He was deeply attached to his dog, Joule, a Catahoula Leopard dog, who had died about a year ago. Family members said the loss of his dog had affected him deeply.
Joined Immigration Protests Despite Family's Warnings
Pretti had participated in protests following the January 7 killing of Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman who was shot when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fired into her vehicle.
"He cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset," said his father, Michael Pretti.
Read | 'He Was A Nurse, Treated Sick Veterans': Family On Minneapolis Immigration Killing
"He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street. He cared about those people, and he knew it was wrong, so he did participate in protests," his father told AP.
His parents, who live in Colorado, said they had recently spoken to their son about being cautious while protesting.
"We had this discussion with him two weeks ago or so, you know, that go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid, basically," Michael Pretti said. "And he said he knows that. He knew that."
No Criminal Record, Lawful Gun Ownership
Court records show that Pretti had no criminal history. His family said he had never had any interaction with law enforcement apart from a few traffic tickets.
Family members confirmed that Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Minnesota, but said they had never known him to carry it.
His ex-wife, who spoke to the AP but later requested anonymity, said she was not surprised he would take part in protests against President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. She said they had not spoken since their divorce more than two years ago, after she moved to another state.
She described Pretti as a Democratic voter who had also joined protests following the 2020 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. She said he might shout at law enforcement officers during protests but had never been physically confrontational.
She added that Pretti had obtained a permit to carry a concealed firearm about three years earlier and owned at least one semiautomatic handgun when they separated.
Family Rejects Official Claims
After seeing videos of senior Trump administration officials describing their son as a "domestic terrorist," Pretti's family released a written statement expressing grief and anger.
"The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting," the statement said, AP reported.
The family said videos showed that Pretti was not holding a gun when federal agents tackled him, but was holding his phone in one hand and using the other to shield a woman who was being pepper-sprayed.
"Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man," they said.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris reacted to the shooting in a post on X, saying she was "enraged and heartbroken."
She wrote, "Alex Jeffrey Pretti was an ICU nurse at a VA hospital. His life, through his profession, was dedicated to serving his community and our country. As so many have now seen on video, his final act before he was killed by federal agents was doing everything in his power to protect his community."
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said legal action had already been taken.
"Tonight, on behalf of Minnesota law enforcement, I filed a lawsuit against DHS to prevent the destruction of evidence related to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti. DHS is not above the law, and Alex sure as hell is not beneath it."
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he had been in touch with the White House following the incident and urged President Trump to halt the federal operation.
"Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now," Walz said in a post on X.
In a statement, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said officers were conducting an operation under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. She said officers fired "defensive shots" after a man with a handgun approached them and "violently resisted" attempts to disarm him. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said police believe Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.
The shooting took place amid daily protests across the Twin Cities, which have continued since the killing of Renee Good on January 7. Saturday's incident occurred just over a mile from where Good was shot, further deepening tensions in the city.
(With inputs from news agencies)
