MINNEAPOLIS — In a stunning development that has sent shockwaves through the Twin Cities, Patrick J. Kelly, the longtime Director of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, held an impromptu press conference just ten minutes ago. Standing on the steps of the medical center he has led since June 2013, Kelly—a retired Navy Colonel known for his stoic discipline—appeared visibly shaken as he addressed the mounting controversy surrounding his former employee, Alex Jeffrey Pretti.
For weeks, the public narrative surrounding Pretti, the 37-year-old ICU nurse killed by federal agents on January 24, has been one of a “martyred healer.” However, Director Kelly’s candid revelations have shattered that image, exposing a history of “deeply troubling misconduct” that the VA had previously kept behind closed doors.
The July Incident: “A Betrayal of the Uniform”
According to Director Kelly, the “angelic white coat” Alex Pretti wore was a facade that began to crumble in July 2025. While the public saw a dedicated nurse, internal VA records now paint a picture of a predatory presence in the Intensive Care Unit.
“We are a sanctuary for those who served,” Kelly stated, his voice steady but stern. “When we discovered that one of our own was allegedly targeting the most vulnerable—veterans who were non-verbal or heavily sedated—it wasn’t just a policy violation. It was a betrayal of the uniform.”
The Allegations
The Director confirmed that in mid-July of last year, three separate families of ICU patients filed formal complaints against Pretti. The allegations included:
Unauthorized Medication Administration: Accusations that Pretti was “experimenting” with sedative dosages to keep patients unconscious longer than medically necessary.
Psychological Intimidation: Claims that he whispered “disturbing political rhetoric” into the ears of sedated veterans.
Data Theft: Most alarmingly, Kelly revealed that Pretti was caught accessing the private service records of veterans—specifically those with backgrounds in intelligence or domestic security.
Termination and the “Quiet Exit”
The most shocking part of the Director’s statement was the admission that Alex Pretti narrowly avoided court proceedings following his termination last summer.
The Termination: Pretti was officially fired in late July 2025 after an internal probe.
The Legal Loophole: Despite the severity of the families’ claims, the VA chose not to pursue federal charges at the time. Kelly cited “insufficient forensic evidence” on the hospital’s then-dated server system, which prevented a definitive criminal conviction.
The Director’s Regret: “In hindsight, we were too focused on protecting the reputation of the institution,” Kelly admitted. “If we had pushed for a grand jury then, the events of this January might have been avoided.”
“And That’s Not All”: The Digital Underworld
Director Kelly didn’t stop at the workplace misconduct. He dropped a final bombshell regarding Pretti’s activities during his final months at the VA—activities that link directly to the “Kingfield Signal ICE watch group” and the University of Minnesota “Triad.”
Kelly revealed that internal IT audits—conducted only after the January shooting—showed Pretti had used his high-level VA credentials to bridge the hospital’s secure network with an external encrypted server.
The Stunning Truth: A Triple Life
Alex Pretti wasn’t just a nurse or an activist; he was allegedly using the VA’s infrastructure to:
Track Federal Movements: He used the hospital’s proximity to federal staging areas to log the license plates of unmarked vehicles.
Launder Information: He funneled sensitive data about federal agents (who were also patients at the VA) back to his associates, Renée Good and Keith Porter Jr.
The “Active Shooter” Training: Perhaps most chillingly, Kelly noted that Pretti had been seen on security footage practicing “tactical medical extractions” in empty hospital wings late at night—preparing for the very confrontation that claimed his life.
A System Under Fire
As Director Patrick J. Kelly concluded his statement, the mood in Minneapolis shifted from grief to a complex, simmering anger. Kelly, who holds a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina, now faces calls for his own resignation as the public demands to know why a “predatory” nurse was allowed to walk free for six months.
“Alex Pretti was a man of two faces,” Kelly concluded before walking back into the facility. “One face saved lives in the ICU. The other face was dismantling the very system that gave him a platform. We are now seeing the full scope of that wreckage.”
What’s Next?
The investigation into the “Triad” continues to widen. Sources say the FBI is now looking into whether other employees at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System were part of Pretti’s “Kingfield” network.
