Alex Pretti’s Parents Remember Their Last Call with Son Days Before He Was Killed 

The parents of Alex Pretti are sharing what their son was like before he was shot by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 24.

Pretti, 37, worked as an ICU nurse. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson said the shooting occurred during “a targeted operation” focused on “an illegal alien wanted for violent assault.” DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Pretti “approached” officers while armed with a handgun and “violently resisted” when officers tried to disarm him.

Since that statement was released, witnesses have shared videos and accounts that dispute key elements of the government’s version of events, including claims that Pretti was holding a phone — not a gun — in the moments before he was shot.

After his death, Pretti’s parents, Michael and Susan, told the Associated Press they had spoken with him by phone just a couple of days earlier. They said the conversation was ordinary — about repairs to his garage door — but one detail stuck with them: the man who fixed the door was Latino, and Alex gave him a $100 tip because of what was happening in Minneapolis.

The parents also said they knew Pretti planned to attend protests and had warned him in an earlier conversation to be careful.

“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 told the AP.

“And he said he knows that,” Michael continued. “He knew that.”

The family said they confirmed Pretti’s death with the Hennepin County Medical Examiner after they were unable to get answers from officials in Minnesota.

In a statement released after the death was confirmed, the family described Pretti as a “kindhearted soul” and forcefully rejected DHS’ account of the shooting, calling it “sickening lies.”

“We are heartbroken but also very angry,” the statement said. “Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately he will not be with us to see his impact.”

According to affidavits submitted by witnesses, at least six people described what they saw during the shooting and the medical response that followed. One witness, a woman who said she was driving in the area, reported that Pretti directed her where to park amid the protests. She alleged that he was filming the scene on his cell phone while helping manage traffic.

The witness said Pretti later walked over with his phone camera raised to film and to “support” others who were being threatened with pepper spray by federal agents.

“[Pretti] put his hands above his head and the agent sprayed him again and pushed him,” the witness wrote. “Then [Pretti] tried to help up the woman the ICE agent had shoved to the ground. The ICE agents just kept spraying.”

She added that agents then took Pretti down and, while he was on the ground, four or five agents “started shooting him.” The witness said it did not appear he was resisting and that he seemed focused on helping another person who had been shoved.

A second witness — described as a 29-year-old licensed pediatrician — said they attempted to provide medical care to Pretti, who was in “critical condition.” In court documents, the physician said agents repeatedly demanded proof of medical credentials before allowing them to assist. The witness reported being patted down to ensure they “didn’t have a weapon” before they were permitted to assess Pretti.

Once allowed in, the physician said Pretti was “lying on his side” surrounded by agents, and the witness did not observe agents checking for a pulse or administering CPR.

“Instead of doing either of those things, the ICE agents appeared to be counting his bullet wounds,” the physician said. “I asked the ICE agents if the victim had a pulse, and they said they did not know.”

The physician said they checked for a pulse, did not feel one, and immediately began CPR until EMS arrived and took over. The witness account said it was later determined Pretti sustained at least 10 gunshots fired within five seconds.