Nadene Goldfoot
Alex Jeffrey Pretti (37) of an Italian family, was an Illinois-born intensive care unit (ICU) nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, known for his dedication to veteran care and active, compassionate nature. A 2011 University of Minnesota graduate, he was fatally shot by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, 2026, during protests.
- Background & Education: Born in Illinois, Pretti Alex Pretti grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he played football, baseball, and ran track for Preble High School. He was a Boy Scout and sang in the Green Bay Boy Choir. He graduated from Green Bay Preble High School (2006) and later the University of Minnesota (2011) with a degree in biology, society, and the environment before becoming a licensed nurse in 2021.
- Career & Personality: He worked as a research technician before becoming an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA. Colleagues described him as "upbeat," "kindhearted," and a "gentle soul" who was highly skilled at human interaction.
- Activism & Death: Pretti participated in protests following the killing of Renee Good by federal agents in January 2026. He was shot during an immigration enforcement operation on Jan. 24, 2026.
- Controversy: While federal officials claimed Pretti was armed and approached agents, bystander videos and reports suggest he was not holding a weapon at the time of the shooting.
- Interests: He was an avid outdoorsman, loved mountain biking, and was deeply attached to his dog.
Pretti had no criminal record and held a legal permit to carry a firearm. Pretti was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed getting in adventures with Joule, his beloved Catahoula Leopard dog who also recently died. He worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and had participated in protests following the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs officer. “He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street. He cared about those people, and he knew it was wrong, so he did participate in protests.” Here he was, not even protesting but helping an injured person, and was killed by the ICE he hated to see in his own city. How unbelievable!
NBC News tells us that: “Alex wanted to make a difference in this world,” his parents said in a statement released through the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party “Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact.” Pretti's parents, Michael and Susan, rejected federal officials' account, calling the "lies" told about their son "sickening and reprehensible." Family members told The Associated Press that Pretti owned a handgun and a concealed carry permit in Minnesota. Police Chief O’Hara also told local officials believe the man was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.
His murder marks the second death this month linked to the Trump administration’s supercharged immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities, following the January 7 shooting of US citizen Renee Good. A week after Good was killed, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and wounded a Venezuelan man in the leg in Minneapolis.
I saw his murder on CNN. It was done by a pile-up of 5 or 6 ICE men who attacked Alex when he was on the ground, helping someone hurt in the rioting, being a nurse he could give immediate aid. It does not take but one woman to do a take-down trained by a police unit. I don't know what happened to his injured patient. He could have been packing, but did not need or even think of his own gun at the time when attacked by over-jealous and frightened ICE men who shot him, I've heard 5 or 6 times, meaning they all shot at once-possibly. He was dead at the scene. The morning after tens of thousands marched through downtown Minneapolis against a federal immigration crackdown, was when agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen on Jan. 24, 2026.
Resource:
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/25/us/shooting-minneapolis-alex-pretti-killed
https://www.boston.com/news/national-news/2026/01/24/alex-pretti/
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