MINNEAPOLIS – Relatives say the man fatally shot by a federal officer in Minneapolis on Saturday was a Veterans Administration intensive care nurse who was deeply compassionate and distressed by President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement actions in the city.
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, was an outdoor enthusiast who loved exploring with his dog, Joule, a Catahoula Leopard dog that had recently died. He had taken part in demonstrations following the earlier killing of Renee Good, who was shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer earlier this month.
“He genuinely cared about people and was extremely troubled by what was happening in Minneapolis and across the country involving ICE, just like millions of others,” said his father, Michael Pretti. “For him, protesting was a way to show that concern and solidarity with others.”
Pretti was a U.S. citizen born in Illinois. Court documents indicated he had no criminal history, and his family said his only prior contact with law enforcement involved minor traffic violations.
His parents, who live in Wisconsin, said they had recently urged him to exercise caution while attending protests.
“We talked with him about it a couple of weeks ago,” Michael Pretti said. “We told him it was okay to protest, but to stay disengaged and not do anything reckless. He told us he understood and was aware of that.”
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the shooting occurred after Pretti allegedly approached U.S. Border Patrol agents while carrying a 9mm semiautomatic handgun. Officials did not say whether he pointed the weapon, and it cannot be seen in video footage captured by bystanders and later obtained by The Associated Press.
Family members confirmed that Pretti legally owned a handgun and had a Minnesota permit to carry it concealed, but said they were unaware of him ever carrying it in public.
The family learned of the incident after being contacted by an Associated Press reporter. After viewing the video, they believed the man who was killed was their son and attempted to contact authorities for confirmation.
“We couldn’t get information from anyone,” Michael Pretti said on Saturday. “The police told us to contact Border Patrol, Border Patrol was closed, and the hospitals wouldn’t provide any details.”
Eventually, the family reached the Hennepin County Medical Examiner, who they said confirmed there was a body matching their son’s name and description.
Leave a Reply