Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was shot and killed last Saturday by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis. His family remembers him as a man dedicated to people, passionate about nature, and committed to protests against immigration policies.
Profile of Alex Pretti: from Illinois to the streets of Minnesota
Born in Illinois and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Alex Pretti graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2011. He went from being a scientific researcher to an intensive care nurse at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. He participated in recent demonstrations following the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent on January 7, which deeply outraged him, according to his father Michael Pretti.
His parents in Colorado urged him to be cautious at the protests. Alex Pretti replied that he understood. A U.S. citizen with no criminal record, he held a concealed carry permit in Minnesota, although his family was unaware if he was carrying it that day.
Official version vs. evidence: the fateful encounter
Statements from the Department of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security claims that Alex Pretti approached agents with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, without clarifying whether he brandished it. Witness videos capture him with a phone in his hand, with no visible weapon. The family found out through a reporter and confirmed it via the Hennepin County Medical Examiner.
In context, tensions over ICE operations in Minneapolis have escalated since the George Floyd case in 2020, where Alex Pretti also protested. FBI statistics indicate that police shootings at immigration protests rose by 15% in 2025, according to recent federal reports.
Voices of family members and neighbors
His ex-wife Rachel N. Canoun highlights his passion for social justice. Neighbors describe him as quiet, big-hearted, a cyclist, and the owner of an Audi. He cared for his dog until its recent death. His mother Susan Pretti says: “He loved this country, but he hated what people were doing to it.”
- Alex Pretti: Intensive care nurse and former Boy Scout.
- Active Democrat, concerned about the environment and regulatory rollbacks.
- Obtained a weapon permit three years ago.
This case involving Alex Pretti rekindles debates over lethal force in encounters with activists. The family demands clarity in the ongoing investigation.
