Minneapolis is grappling with conflicting narratives surrounding the fatal shooting of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents last Saturday. Identified by his grieving family, Pretti was an avid outdoorsman and a dedicated healthcare professional at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs hospital.
The incident occurred amidst heightened tensions following the earlier police shooting of Renee Good, 37, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. Pretti had reportedly joined subsequent protests expressing outrage over both immigration policies and environmental regulation rollbacks under the Trump administration.
The Department of Homeland Security asserts their agent acted in self-defense against an armed individual resisting disarmament. This official account faces direct challenge from multiple eyewitnesses, community officials, and Pretti’s family, who maintain visual evidence shows he was not holding a weapon when apprehended.
Described by colleagues and neighbors as a compassionate caregiver and enthusiastic mountain biker, Pretti held a concealed carry permit but was never known to carry his legally owned handgun according to those closest to him. His background check revealed no criminal history beyond minor traffic violations.
The victim’s parents revealed their final conversation with their son focused on home repairs and his generous $100 tip to a Latino worker—a gesture they found particularly meaningful given current community tensions. As makeshift memorials emerge across Minneapolis, colleagues remember Pretti as someone who ‘bonded over mountain biking trails’ rather than political confrontation.
Medical colleague Dr. Dmitri Drekonja expressed outrage at suggestions Pretti posed any threat, stating: ‘The notion that this helpful, smiling joking guy was being labelled a terrorist? It’s galling.’ The family has issued pleas for accurate representation of their son’s character amid what they call ‘sickening lies’ from authorities.