Minneapolis ICU Nurse Fatally Shot by Border Patrol Officer
Family members of a man killed by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis last Saturday are speaking out, painting a portrait of a dedicated healthcare professional deeply affected by immigration policies. Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, worked as an intensive care nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital and was known for his compassionate nature.
A Life of Service and Outdoor Passion
Pretti was described by his family as someone who cared deeply about people and was particularly upset by President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. His father, Michael Pretti, emphasized his son's concern for vulnerable populations.
"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," Michael Pretti said. "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."
An avid outdoorsman, Pretti enjoyed adventures with his beloved Catahoula Leopard dog named Joule, who had recently passed away. Born in Illinois and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Pretti was a U.S. citizen with no criminal record beyond a few traffic tickets, according to court records and family statements.
Conflicting Accounts of the Fatal Encounter
The Department of Homeland Security stated that Pretti was shot after he "approached" Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. However, officials did not specify whether Pretti brandished the weapon.
Bystander videos that emerged soon after the shooting show Pretti with a phone in his hand, but none appear to show him with a visible weapon. Family members acknowledged that Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Minnesota, but they said they had never known him to carry it.
Family's Struggle for Information and Truth
The Pretti family first learned of the shooting when contacted by an Associated Press reporter. After watching the video and suspecting the victim was their son, they attempted to reach officials in Minnesota but encountered bureaucratic obstacles.
"I can't get any information from anybody," Michael Pretti said on Saturday. "The police, they said call Border Patrol, Border Patrol's closed, the hospitals won't answer any questions."
Eventually, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner confirmed having a body matching Pretti's name and description. As of Saturday evening, the family said they had still not heard from any federal law enforcement agency about their son's death.
Response to Administration Characterizations
After seeing videos of Trump administration officials suggesting their son was a "domestic terrorist" who attacked the officers who shot him, the family issued a written statement expressing both heartbreak and anger.
"The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting," the family's statement said. They added that videos showed Alex Pretti was not holding a gun when tackled by federal agents, but was instead holding his phone with 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 pleaded.
Background and Community Connections
Pretti grew up in Green Bay where he played football, baseball, and ran track for Preble High School. He was a Boy Scout and sang in the Green Bay Boy Choir. After graduation, he attended the University of Minnesota, earning a bachelor's degree in biology, society and the environment in 2011.
He worked as a research scientist before returning to school to become a registered nurse. Pretti lived in a four-unit condominium building about two miles from where he was shot. Neighbors described him as quiet and warmhearted.
"He's a wonderful person," said Sue Gitar, who lived downstairs from Pretti. "He has a great heart." She noted that he would jump in to help with neighborhood concerns, such as when they worried about a potential gas leak in their building.
Previous Activism and Personal Life
Pretti's ex-wife, who spoke to the AP but requested anonymity, said she was not surprised he would have been involved in protesting Trump's immigration crackdown. She described him as a Democratic voter who had participated in the wave of street protests following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020.
She characterized him as someone who might shout at law enforcement officers at a protest but had never known him to be physically confrontational. She confirmed that Pretti obtained a permit to carry a concealed firearm about three years ago and owned at least one semiautomatic handgun when they separated.
Final Conversations and Environmental Concerns
Pretti's parents said their last conversation with their son occurred a couple of days before his death. They discussed repairs he had done to his garage door by a Latino worker, to whom Pretti gave a $100 tip amid the tensions in Minneapolis.
His mother, Susan Pretti, said her son cared immensely about the direction the country was headed, particularly the Trump administration's rollback of environmental regulations.
"He hated that, you know, people were just trashing the land," Susan Pretti said. "He was an outdoorsman. He took his dog everywhere he went. You know, he loved this country, but he hated what people were doing to it."
The incident continues to raise questions about law enforcement interactions with protesters and the dissemination of information following fatal encounters with federal officers.
