In a heart-wrenching exclusive that’s rocking the nation, the ex-wife of tragically slain ICU nurse Alex Pretti has finally broken her silence – revealing she cut all ties with the 37-year-old hero more than two years ago after their bitter divorce, claiming his life spiraled into obsession with street protests that left him “agitated” and “disillusioned.”
Rachel Canoun, who spoke candidly to reporters including the Associated Press in the wake of Pretti’s brutal killing by federal Border Patrol agents on January 24, 2026, painted a portrait of a once-loving husband transformed by political fervor – a man whose deep-seated “protection issues” (perhaps a desperate need to shield others amid chaos) and growing rage over past activism tore their marriage apart.
“Our marriage collapsed when he became consumed by protests,” Rachel confessed, her words dripping with sorrow. “He struggled with deep-rooted protection issues and grew increasingly agitated whenever his past activism was brought up.” But the real bombshell? What truly haunted Alex Pretti wasn’t just the streets of Minneapolis or the fiery George Floyd demonstrations of 2020 – insiders whisper it stemmed from a buried family secret that quietly poisoned his choices, fueling a lifelong drive to “protect” that ended in a hail of bullets.
Pretti, a dedicated Veterans Affairs intensive care nurse who spent his days saving American heroes, was no stranger to the spotlight – or tragedy. Born in Park Ridge, Illinois, to Italian-American parents Michael and Susan, he grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, shining in high school sports before earning his degree from the University of Minnesota. Colleagues remember him as compassionate, quiet, and utterly committed – but behind the scrubs burned a passionate activist who joined the 2020 George Floyd protests near their old neighborhood.
Rachel confirmed Pretti’s involvement in those historic upheavals played a pivotal role in their split. “It doesn’t surprise me that he was out there protesting,” she said, noting his strong sense of injustice. “He felt these kinds of things very deeply.” Yet she insisted he was never physically violent – just loud, vocal, and unyielding when he saw wrong.
The couple’s divorce, finalized over two years ago, left Rachel in another state, with zero communication since. “We haven’t talked since the divorce,” she revealed, her voice heavy with unresolved pain. Online speculation exploded: some X users cruelly claimed she “divorced him for being woke,” while others joked darkly about hidden reasons. Rachel stayed mostly silent until now, but her words have ignited fresh fury amid nationwide outrage over Pretti’s death – the second U.S. citizen gunned down by immigration agents in Minneapolis this month.
The fatal encounter unfolded during Trump’s aggressive “Operation Metro Surge” immigration crackdown, which has seen thousands arrested in the Twin Cities. Living just miles away in Lyndale, Pretti rushed to the scene, phone in hand, filming agents as they clashed with protesters. Harrowing videos show him stepping in to shield a woman shoved to the ground – wrapping his arm around her in a selfless act of protection.
Chaos erupted: agents pepper-sprayed him, wrestled him down, discovered his legally carried handgun (he had a permit, confirmed by Rachel), and amid frantic shouts of “Gun! Gun!”, unleashed up to 10 rounds in under five seconds from CBP-issued Glocks. Forensic breakdowns and eyewitness footage confirm Pretti held only his cellphone – not brandishing a weapon – when the shooting began. Two agents opened fire; both are now on administrative leave as investigations swirl.
This wasn’t Pretti’s first clash. Just 11 days earlier, on January 13, video shows him confronting agents – yelling, kicking a vehicle taillight – during another protest. He suffered a broken rib, treated but barely documented by DHS. His family insists he was already injured, vulnerable, when fate struck again.
Pretti’s parents are devastated and furious. “We are heartbroken but also very angry,” Michael and Susan Pretti declared. “The sickening lies told by the Trump administration are reprehensible and disgusting.” They demand the truth: their son was protecting a woman, phone raised – not threatening anyone.
A GoFundMe has surged past $1 million, memorials dot the site, and protests rage from Minneapolis to New York, Seattle, and Portland. Minnesota’s Governor activated the National Guard; even the NBA postponed games in solidarity. Barack Obama called it a “heartbreaking tragedy,” while gun rights advocates slam DHS for fixating on Pretti’s firearm.
Psychologists weigh in: experts say prolonged immersion in high-stakes protests can trigger agitation, PTSD-like symptoms, and relationship breakdowns – exactly what Rachel described. “He became that disillusioned figure in my imagination,” she lamented, hinting at unresolved trauma from 2020’s chaos.
Yet darker whispers persist: deleted social media, conspiracy claims of “suicide by cop,” doctored photos mocking him. His girlfriend – a “pretty blonde” – stays silent, while friends recall an avid hiker, climber, and cyclist – a vibrant life extinguished too soon.
As bodycam footage remains unreleased and accusations of cover-up fly – with Senators demanding transparency – Rachel’s revelations add a tragic human layer: a man driven by justice, haunted by personal demons, estranged from love, whose final “protection” act cost him everything.
Was his agitation a cry from buried secrets? Or heroic resolve against injustice? America watches, divided and demanding answers, as this nightmare unfolds.
Daily Mail will continue to follow every explosive development in the Alex Pretti saga.
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