ICE Minneapolis shooting victim Alex Pretti pictured as ICU nurse who helped to save lives
Alex Pretti, 37, was an intensive care nurse at the Veterans Administration who had participated in protests following recent ICE operations in Minneapolis, his family said
The man shot dead by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Saturday has been pictured by heartbroken family.
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, was an intensive care nurse at the Veterans Administration, who had a profound compassion for others and was distressed by President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement in his city. He was a passionate outdoor enthusiast who cherished adventures with Joule, his treasured Catahoula Leopard dog who also died recently.
He had taken part in demonstrations following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Law Enforcement officer earlier this month.
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Alex Pretti was an ICU nurse(Image: Unknown)
“He cared about people deeply”
“He cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset,” said Michael Pretti, Alex’s father. “He felt that doing the protesting was a way to express that, you know, his care for others.”
Pretti was a US citizen, born in Illinois. Like Good, court documents revealed he had no criminal history and his family said he had never encountered law enforcement beyond a few traffic violations. He 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.
After graduation, he went to the University of Minnesota, graduating in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, society and the environment, according to the family. He worked as a research scientist before returning to school to become a registered nurse.
One colleague said: “We hired him to recruit for our trial. He became an ICU nurse, I loved working with him. He was a good, kind person who lived to help and these f***ers executed him. White. Hot. Rage”
Pretti was seen holding a phone before he was wrestled to the ground by ICE agents(Image: X(KimKatieUSA))
Neighbours horrified by shooting
Jeanne Massey, who lived just one street away from Alex declared: “Let me be clear: we are horrified, we are furious, and we are not going to pretend this is anything but what it is – another senseless act of violence carried out by federal agents in our city.
“This is the third time in just weeks that someone has been shot during these so-called enforcement operations, and it’s devastating to see another life taken while our community is trying to stand up for justice and safety.”
Massey described Friday’s protest as “not just for our immigrant neighbors but for everyone who deserves to live without fear. She stated: “That massive show of solidarity should have sent a message – but instead, we wake up to another scene of bloodshed. People here are terrified, but we are also angry – angry that federal agents continue to operate with impunity, with lethal force, with no accountability. Our city is under siege. No one here feels safe, and that is unacceptable.”
Despite the fear gripping the city, Minnesotans have made their position crystal clear – they refuse to retreat. She added: “We will not be quiet, we will not be intimidated, and we will not back down. This resistance is not just growing – it’s enraged and resolute. They need to stop this operation now and get these agents out of Minnesota.”
Federal ICE agents stand near the site of the horror shooting in Minneapolis(Image: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Family break silence with heartbreaking statement
The Department of Homeland Security stated that the man was shot after he “approached” US Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun. Officials did not specify if Pretti brandished the gun, and it is not visible in bystander video of the shooting obtained by The Associated Press.
Family members said Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Minnesota. They said they had never known him to carry it.
The family first learned of the shooting when they were called by an Associated Press reporter. They watched the video and said the man killed appeared to be their son. They then tried reaching out to officials in Minnesota.
They have since issued a statement accusing the Trump administration of spreading ‘sickening lies’ about their son. Michael and Susan Pretti shared a statement through the Minnesota DFL on Saturday evening saying they are “heartbroken but also very angry,” and calling him a kindhearted soul who wanted to make a difference in the world through his work as a nurse.
“The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed,” the family statement concluded: “Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.”
During a recent chat with their son, his parents, who reside in Wisconsin, urged him to exercise caution whilst demonstrating. “We had this discussion with him two weeks ago or so, you know, that go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid, basically,” Michael Pretti said. “And he said he knows that. He knew that.”
Protesters in Minneapolis were wrestled to the ground, before one man was shot by ICE agents(Image: Facebook)
Thousands gather for vigil
Thousands of people gathered for a vigil to pay their respects to Alex Jeffrey Pretti who was shot dead by ICE agents on Saturday evening. A local who wished to remain anonymous attended a vigil at Whittier Park in Minneapolis along with around 3,000 other people to pay their respects to Alex.
She said: “It was peaceful but Aldi nearby was boarding up their windows and people were wearing ski goggles for protection just in case. There was probably close to 3,000 people there by the time we left and people were still getting busses in.
“It was -7°F. We chanted and there were speakers and people handing out hand warmers and hot cocoa.”
The man was filmed by wrestled to the ground before being shot(Image: X/@TheJFreakinC)
