The grieving family of an intensive care nurse shot dead by federal agents in Minneapolis has finally broken their silence, as harrowing new video evidence threatens to push a city already on the brink into total collapse.
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen described by his heartbroken father as a man who “cared deeply about people,” was fatally shot on Saturday morning. The veteran VA nurse was reportedly participating in protests against the Trump administration’s massive immigration surge when he was confronted by an eight-year veteran of the Border Patrol.
‘They’re Killing My Neighbors!’
The shooting, which unfolded on Nicollet Avenue just a mile from where another woman was killed by ICE agents weeks ago, has ignited a tinderbox of fury.
Shocking bystander footage obtained by the Associated Press shows the moments leading up to the gunfire. Pretti is seen attempting to help a woman in a skirt and tights who had been shoved by an officer. The pair link arms in a brief, desperate embrace before at least seven federal agents swarm them.
In the blurred, terrifying melee, an officer is seen striking Pretti in the chest with a canister, while others wrestle him to the ground. Seconds later, a shot rings out. As officers scramble back, Pretti is left lying motionless on the frigid pavement.
While the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims Pretti was an “armed suspect” who “violently resisted,” local police believe he was a lawful gun owner with a valid permit to carry—and the video appears to show him holding nothing but a cell phone as he was tackled.
A Hero in the ICU, a Target on the Street
“He felt that protesting was a way to express his care for others,” his father, Michael Pretti, told reporters through tears. “We told him two weeks ago… protest, but do not do anything stupid. And he said he knew that.”
Pretti, an avid outdoorsman who recently lost his beloved Catahoula Leopard dog, Joule, had no criminal record. His parents, living in Wisconsin, only learned of their son’s death when a reporter called them.
“I can’t get any information from anybody,” Michael Pretti sobbed, describing a wall of silence from federal authorities. “The police said call Border Patrol, Border Patrol is closed, the hospitals won’t answer any questions.”
‘Boo Hoo’: The Mockery of the Fallen
The aftermath of the shooting was marked by shocking displays of callousness. As an angry crowd gathered, screaming “cowards” at the retreating agents, one officer was caught on camera mockingly responding: “Boo hoo.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has since excoriated the federal presence, labeling the operation “organized brutality.”
“The federal occupation of Minnesota long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement,” Walz declared, demanding the immediate removal of 3,000 agents he claims are “sowing chaos.”
Trump Strikes Back
From his Truth Social account, President Donald Trump offered a starkly different narrative, posting an image of a handgun allegedly recovered from the scene.
“This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go,” the President wrote, before launching into a tirade suggesting the protests were a “COVER UP” for massive monetary fraud in the state. “This is no different than a really big Bank Robbery.”
A City Under Siege
The shooting is the latest escalation in what DHS calls its largest-ever immigration enforcement operation. In Minneapolis, the result has been daily clashes, flash bangs, and streets blocked by dumpsters as residents chant “ICE out now.”
“This isn’t isolated or accidental,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar. “The Trump administration is trying to beat us into submission.”
As the state of Minnesota prepares to lead its own independent investigation into the death of the nurse who spent his life saving others, the question remains: was Alex Pretti an armed threat, or a victim of a militarized force that no longer recognizes the citizens it is sworn to protect?
