A man who was shot dead by federal agents in Minneapolis has been identified by his family as 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti. He has been described as an avid outdoorsman who loved mountain biking and is understood to have joined protests after Renee Good, also 37, was shot dead by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in her car earlier this month.
Conflicting accounts have emerged about the moments leading up to his death. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said an agent fired in self-defence after Pretti, who they claim had a handgun, resisted attempts to disarm him. Some eyewitnesses and officials, as well as Pretti's family, have challenged that account. Videos show no evidence to support the claim he used any armed force to threaten agents.
Pretti worked as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs hospital, his family said in a statement. They told the Associated Press news agency (AP) that he was upset by US President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration in the city. His mother also mentioned that he felt strongly about the administration's rollback of environmental regulations, saying, He hated that, you know, people were just trashing the land.
The family noted that Pretti had no significant interactions with law enforcement beyond traffic tickets and had no criminal record. His mother revealed they had advised him to be cautious during protests. After seeing videos suggesting their son was a domestic terrorist, Pretti's family issued a statement denouncing the claims as sickening lies and urged for the truth to be shared.
After his tragic death, a makeshift memorial near the site of the shooting became a focal point for community mourning, reflecting on the loss of a man described by friends and neighbors as generous and community-minded.
