Pretti’s father, Michael, also recalled a different conversation, telling Alex if he protests to be cautious and “not engage”

Air Force Veteran, Who Was Alex Pretti's Patient 2 Weeks Ago, Recalls How the Nurse 'Comforted' and 'Helped' Him (Exclusive)

Alex Pretti.Credit : US Department of Veteran Affairs

The parents of Alex Pretti shared insights into who their son was before he was shot by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 24.

Pretti was a 37-year-old ICU nurse who was shot point-blank by a U.S. Border Patrol officer during “a targeted operation” against “an illegal alien wanted for violent assault,” Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin told PEOPLE in a statement on Jan. 24.

McLaughlin claimed that a man, later identified as lawful gun owner Pretti, “approached” officers while armed with a handgun. She claimed he “violently resisted” as they attempted to disarm him. Since DHS’ statement, witnesses have shared videos that contradict the agency’s claims, including that Pretti was holding a phone, not a gun, in the moments before the killing.

After his death, Pretti’s parents, Michael and Susan, told the Associated Press that they spoke to him on the phone a couple of days before he was killed.

They spoke about the repairs to his home’s garage door, Michael and Susan told the AP. They said the man who repaired the garage door was Latino, and Alex gave him a $100 tip because of all that was happening in Minneapolis.