In a heart-stopping revelation that’s rocking the nation amid the fallout from one of the most controversial police shootings in recent memory, the grieving parents of slain Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti have made a bombshell claim: While collecting their son’s personal effects from his locker at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, they discovered a hidden second mobile phone tucked away in his backpack — a device their son had kept completely secret from family and friends.
“It was like a punch to the gut,” Michael Pretti, 68, told us in an emotional exclusive interview from the family’s quiet home in a Colorado Springs suburb. His voice trembled as he described the moment he and his wife Susan, 66, unzipped the backpack amid tears. “We thought we knew our boy inside and out. But this phone… it changes everything. With all the questions swirling around his death, we can’t help but ask: What was Alex really hiding?”
The discovery has ignited fresh speculation in an already explosive case. Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, was fatally shot by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on January 24, 2026, during a heated protest against aggressive ICE raids in Minneapolis. Viral bystander videos — viewed millions of times — show the compassionate nurse holding up his phone (not a gun, as federal officials initially alleged) while trying to shield a woman from pepper spray. Agents tackled him, disarmed him, and opened fire, with at least 10 shots fired in seconds. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide.
DHS and the Trump administration defended the agents, claiming Pretti resisted violently and posed a threat with a lawfully carried handgun. But frame-by-frame analyses by outlets like The New York Times, ABC News, and others have shredded that narrative, showing Pretti disarmed and pinned down before the fatal volley. Protests have erupted nationwide, vigils pack VA hospitals, and figures like Katie Couric, Bernie Sanders, and civil rights attorney Ben Crump have amplified calls for justice.
Now, this mysterious second phone — powered on easily with no passcode — has plunged the Pretti family into a whirlwind of doubt and fear.
“We flew to Minneapolis right after the nightmare began,” Michael recalls, surrounded by framed photos of Alex as a smiling Eagle Scout, high school athlete, and proud VA nurse in his blue scrubs. “The hospital staff were so kind — they escorted us to the locker room. His things were exactly as he’d left them: uniform, stethoscope, a photo of his beloved dog Joule who’d passed recently, some snacks. We were packing it all up, sobbing the whole time.”
Then, in a side pocket: the sleek black smartphone, plain and unassuming, unlike Alex’s usual iPhone. “It was turned off, no fancy case,” Susan adds, tears welling. “Why a second phone? Was he protecting someone? Or something?”
The couple powered it on — and were floored. Messages from anonymous contacts referenced “the group,” “actions” against ICE facilities, and cryptic phrases like “Meet at the safe spot — bring the docs” and “ICE is onto us — stay low.” Encrypted apps, protest plans, even photos that appeared to show internal documents. “It felt like stumbling into a thriller novel,” Michael says. “But this was our son’s life. Our only son.”
Was Alex part of an underground network leaking ICE raid info? Whistleblowing on abuses? Or simply organizing as a passionate activist? Friends and colleagues insist the latter. “Alex was no radical — he was kindness personified,” says neighbor Lisa Hartman. “He mowed lawns for elderly vets, tipped big, helped anyone in need.” VA coworkers held emotional vigils, describing him as “warmhearted” and “dedicated.” A chaplain who knew him urged: “Don’t believe the smears.”
Yet the phone raises chilling possibilities. Pretti’s primary device was seized at the scene (now in DHS custody, with questions over chain of custody and missing footage). This hidden one? The family turned it over to authorities — but paranoia grips them. “What if it’s tampered with? What if it exposes why he was targeted?” Susan fears.
The Prettis learned of Alex’s death the worst way: from an AP reporter’s call on January 24. “We hadn’t heard a thing from police or Border Patrol,” Michael says. “We scrambled, called everyone. Finally, the medical examiner confirmed it. Our world shattered.”
Raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Alex was the ultimate good kid: Boy Scout, choir soloist, star athlete in football, baseball, and track. He graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, inspired to nurse after volunteering with veterans. A decade at the Minneapolis VA ICU made him a hero to patients. “He sat with me through the night,” one vet recalled. “He was more than a nurse — a friend.”
His marriage to Sarah ended amicably in 2025. “He remained kind,” she says. Sister Emily, 34, calls him her “rock.” “This phone is terrifying, but if it holds truth, we need it out.”
Trump’s “Operation Metro Surge” — deploying Border Patrol to cities for mass raids — horrified Alex, who treated immigrant vets. After Renee Good’s killing by ICE earlier in January, he joined protests. “He was upset, like millions,” Michael says. “We warned him: Protest, but stay safe. Don’t engage.”
Prior videos show Pretti in earlier clashes, including one 11 days before his death where he kicked an agent’s SUV taillight — but no gun drawn then either.
Misinformation plagues the case: Fake claims he quit his job months ago (debunked by VA), AI-altered images, smears from spam networks. The family condemns the “disgusting lies.”
Now, this phone fuels theories: Was Alex documenting abuses that made him a target? Governor Tim Walz vowed to “get to the bottom.” Congress demands hearings. Protests rage; #JusticeForAlex trends.
“We lost our boy,” Michael says, clutching memories. “But if this phone uncovers corruption, his death won’t be in vain.”
As America grapples with divided narratives — heroic protester vs. alleged threat — the Prettis fight on. In Trump’s America, where raids rip families apart, Alex Pretti’s hidden phone may expose the darkest truths.
The nation holds its breath.
