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

The parents of Alex Pretti are speaking about who their son was before he was shot by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 24.

Pretti, 37, was an ICU nurse who was shot at close range by a U.S. Border Patrol officer during what the Department of Homeland Security described as “a targeted operation” focused on “an illegal alien wanted for violent assault,” DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on Jan. 24.

McLaughlin alleged that Pretti, described as a lawful gun owner, approached officers while armed with a handgun and “violently resisted” when they attempted to disarm him. But in the days since the statement was issued, witnesses have shared videos that appear to contradict that account — including footage suggesting Pretti was holding a phone, not a gun, in the moments before he was killed.

After his death, Pretti’s parents, Michael and Susan, told the Associated Press that they had spoken to him by phone just a couple of days earlier.

They said the conversation centered on a repair to his home’s garage door. The repairman was Latino, they told the AP, and Alex gave him a $100 tip because of what was unfolding in Minneapolis.

The parents said they were also aware Pretti planned to protest and had talked with him about staying safe.

“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 through the Hennepin County Medical Examiner after being unable to get clear information from officials in Minnesota.

In a statement released after his death was confirmed, they described him as a “kindhearted soul” and forcefully disputed the DHS’ description of what happened, calling the agency’s statements “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.”

Meanwhile, witness accounts included in affidavits describe a chaotic scene and raise additional questions about both the shooting and the medical response afterward.

Six witnesses described what they said they saw, including a woman who said she was driving when Pretti directed her where to park amid the protests. She stated that he appeared to be filming the scene on his cell phone. According to her account, Pretti later moved closer to record what was happening and to support observers who were being threatened with pepper spray.

“[Pretti] put his hands above his head and the agent sprayed him again and pushed him. Then [Pretti] tried to help up the woman the ICE agent had shoved to the ground. The ICE agents just kept spraying,” the woman wrote. “It didn’t look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up.”

She alleged that agents then forced Pretti to the ground and, while he was down, four or five agents “started shooting him.”

A second witness — an unidentified 29-year-old licensed pediatrician — said they tried to provide emergency medical care after the shooting. In federal district court documents obtained by the publication, the physician said they told agents they were a doctor but were repeatedly asked to show a medical license. The witness said they were allowed to approach only after agents patted them down to ensure they did not have a weapon.

Once there, the physician said they saw Pretti “lying on his side” surrounded by several agents and did not observe anyone checking for a pulse or beginning CPR.

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

“I checked for a pulse, but I did not feel one. I immediately began CPR. Shortly after I started compressions, EMS personnel arrived and took over,” the witness added.

The witness said it was later disclosed that Pretti was hit by at least 10 gunshots fired within roughly five seconds.