Alex Pretti’s Sister Slams ‘Disgusting Lies’ About Her Brother After Fatal Shooting: ‘Absolutely Gut-Wrenching’

The sister of Alex Pretti says it has been “gut-wrenching” to hear “disgusting lies” spread about her brother after he was fatally shot by federal officers in Minneapolis.

Micayla Pretti released a statement on Monday, Jan. 26, calling her late brother a hero, according to the Associated Press. “All Alex ever wanted was to help someone — anyone,” she said, per the news agency. “Even in his very last moments on this earth, he was simply trying to do just that.”

Pretti, 37, worked as an ICU nurse at the Veterans Administration and “touched more lives than he probably ever realized,” Micayla added, the outlet reported.

Without going into further detail, Micayla condemned the misinformation circulating about her brother. “When does this end? How many more innocent lives must be lost before we say enough?” she said, per the AP.

“Hearing disgusting lies spread about my brother is absolutely gut-wrenching,” she continued, according to the news agency.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement on X following Pretti’s death on Jan. 24, claiming that an individual had “approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun” and “violently resisted” an attempt to disarm him. An agent then “fired defensive shots” at Pretti, per the statement.

However, footage verified by The New York Times appeared to contradict DHS’s description of what happened. The video shows Pretti standing among a group of protesters with both hands visible, holding his phone in one hand as an agent sprayed pepper spray toward the group.

Several agents then moved in and pinned Pretti on the sidewalk. In the footage, he does not appear to be holding or reaching for a weapon.

Micayla’s statement came after Pretti’s parents, Michael and Susan, also shared their own message, saying, “We are heartbroken but also very angry.”

They described their son as “a kindhearted soul,” adding that he “wanted to make a difference in this world.”

“Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact,” they said.

They also condemned what they called false claims made about their son. “The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting,” they said, insisting he was “clearly not holding a gun” when he was attacked.

“Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you,” the statement concluded.

A vigil is held in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.

Six witnesses described the shooting and the medical care Pretti received in affidavits cited by the reporting.

One witness, a 29-year-old licensed pediatrician, said they tried to help Pretti and believed he was in “critical condition.”

The doctor alleged agents initially blocked them from reaching Pretti and “repeatedly asked” for proof of medical credentials.

“I insisted that the agents let me assess him,” the witness said in the court papers. “Normally, I would not have been so persistent, but as a physician, I felt a professional and moral obligation to help this man, especially since none of the agents were helping him.”

An agent eventually allowed the doctor to “assess the victim” after they were patted down to confirm they “didn’t have a weapon,” according to the document.

“As I approached, I saw that the victim was lying on his side and was surrounded by several ICE agents,” the witness said, adding they were confused because that position is not standard practice for a shooting victim.

“Checking for a pulse and administering CPR is standard practice,” the witness continued. “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 the victim had “at least three bullet wounds in his back.” They asked officers to move him onto his back, then reported seeing “an additional gunshot wound on the victim’s upper left chest and another possible gunshot wound on his neck.”

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

The doctor added that the experience left them “extremely distraught,” saying they were “sobbing and shaking uncontrollably” after returning home.