ICU Nurse Alex Pretti Killed by Border Patrol in Minneapolis
Federal authorities and the family of Alex J. Pretti are offering sharply different accounts of the circumstances that led to the 37-year-old Minneapolis resident being fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent during an immigration enforcement action on Jan. 24.
Pretti, a U.S. citizen, registered nurse, and Veterans Administration employee, was killed during a federal operation in Minneapolis as the Trump administration intensifies immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities. Homeland Security officials described Pretti as a domestic terrorist who intended to harm law enforcement. Family members, union leaders, and bystander video footage dispute that characterization.
DHS Labels Pretti a Domestic Terrorist
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters Saturday that Pretti “committed an act of domestic terrorism.”
“He came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation,” Noem said at a news conference. She added that the semiautomatic handgun and two magazines Pretti was carrying showed he intended to “inflict maximum damage and kill law enforcement.”
Federal officials said Pretti arrived at the scene of the enforcement action armed and with the intent to interfere with officers. Authorities have not publicly released body camera footage.
Bystander Video Complicates Official Narrative
Multiple videos recorded by bystanders appear to contradict key elements of the federal account. Footage circulating online shows Pretti approaching officers while holding his phone, not a firearm. Local officials had previously urged residents to record immigration agents during enforcement actions.
In one video, Pretti appears to intervene after an agent shoves a woman to the ground. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz addressed the footage at a Saturday news conference.
“I've seen the videos from several angles and it's sickening,” Walz said. “My deepest sympathies to the family of a 37-year-old Minnesota resident, a lawful firearm concealed permit carrier.”
Authorities have confirmed Pretti had a valid permit for his firearm.
Family Rejects DHS Claims
Pretti’s family released a statement Saturday night expressing grief and anger while strongly rejecting the federal government’s characterization of their son.
“We are heartbroken but also very angry,” the family said in a statement shared with CNN. “Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital.”
The family said Pretti was trying to protect a woman when he was shot.
“I do not throw around the hero term lightly,” the statement continued. “However his last thought and act was to protect a woman.”
They also condemned federal officials for describing Pretti as a threat.
“The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting,” the family said. “Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs.”
Union and Colleagues Defend Pretti
The American Federation of Government Employees, which represented Pretti in his role at the Veterans Administration, said he “dedicated his life to serving American veterans.” Union leaders criticized the Department of Homeland Security’s public statements.
“DHS has publicly stated that the victim was brandishing a weapon at officers. However, based on the video currently available, that claim is not clearly established,” the union said in a statement shared with USA TODAY.
“What we do know is this: a member of our union lost their life today, and that alone is devastating,” the statement continued.
Dr. Dimitri Drekonja, a colleague at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, described Pretti as skilled and dependable.
“Taking a job in the ICU, it means that you’re up for a challenge,” Drekonja told The Minnesota Star Tribune. “He was great at it.”
Background and Political Context
Minnesota records show Pretti received his registered nurse license in January 2021. A Veterans Administration webpage lists him as supporting an Office of Research and Development study on infection treatments. His LinkedIn profile indicates prior work as a junior scientist at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Pretti’s father told the Associated Press that his son was troubled by immigration raids in Minneapolis. “He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street,” Michael Pretti said.
His ex-wife told the AP that Pretti was a Democratic voter who participated in protests following the 2020 killing of George Floyd.
Calls for Independent Investigation
Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich, whose city Pretti once called home, called for an independent investigation. “Another American citizen is dead as the result of the federal government's occupation of an American city,” Genrich said in a statement.
The shooting occurred weeks after another fatal immigration enforcement shooting in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, further intensifying scrutiny of federal operations in the city.
Save this story for updates as investigations into the shooting continue.