(Minneapolis) The American man shot dead Saturday by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis was a nurse in an intensive care unit for veterans in the city, who “wanted to change the world,” according to his family.
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Alex Pretti, 37, died after an altercation with federal agents on a street in this Minnesota town. Her death aggravates an already tense situation since that of Renee Good, an American woman shot and killed on January 7 by federal agents in the same city.
This new episode of violence sparked new protests and sparked outrage among local authorities, who disputed the Trump administration’s hasty claims that Mr. Pretti intended to attack federal agents while participating in a demonstration against the massive immigration crackdown.
Mr. Pretti was “a generous soul who cared deeply for his family and friends” as well as the veterans he cared for at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs hospital, his parents said in a statement released Saturday.
Alex wanted to change the world. Unfortunately, he won’t be there to see the impact.
Alex Pretti’s parents, in a press release
Dimitri Drekonja, chief of infectious diseases at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Hospital and a colleague of Mr. Pretti, describes him as “a kind and generous person who lived to help others,” noting that he worked “to support seriously ill veterans.”
“He had such a great attitude. Between two consultations, we discussed our mountain bike outing plans. This will never be possible again,” Mr. Drekonja wrote on the social network Bluesky.
According to local media, Mr. Pretti graduated from high school in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 2006. He then trained as a nurse before joining the Veterans Administration (VA).
“Disgusting lies”
After the shooting death of Renee Good on January 7, he began participating in protests against immigration enforcement (ICE), his father, Michael Pretti, told the Associated Press.
PHOTO ADAM GRAY, ASSOCIATED PRESS
People gather at a vigil for Alex Pretti on January 24, 2026, in Minneapolis.
While the Trump administration strives to present Mr. Pretti as a violent aggressor, a video widely distributed by the American media, the authenticity of which AFP has not verified, contradicts this version.
His parents said their son intervened when a federal agent shoved a protester shortly before he was killed.
They denounced what they called “sickening lies” from the Trump administration, pointing out that the gun found on their son for which he had a gun permit was not in his hand when he was shot.
“Cowardly and murderous agents”
He “was clearly unarmed when he was attacked by the cowardly and murderous ICE agents sent by Trump,” his parents said in a statement.
He held his phone in his right hand and raised his empty left hand above his head, trying to protect the woman ICE had just pinned to the ground, while being pepper sprayed.
Alex Pretti’s parents, in a press release
The family asked the public to “bring out the truth” about their son. “He was a good man.”
“We are heartbroken and we are also very angry,” added the family of the slain nurse.
