Hundreds of nurses and community members are expected to crowd a busy Aurora intersection on Wednesday evening for an electric candlelight vigil honoring Alex Pretti, the Minneapolis intensive‑care nurse who was shot and killed by federal immigration agents while observing a raid. Organizers say the hourlong gathering outside the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center is meant to be both a space to grieve and a pointed call for accountability from federal authorities.
When and where
National Nurses United has scheduled the Aurora vigil for 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the corner of North Wheeling Street and East Colfax Avenue, just outside the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, according to National Nurses United. The union lists the Aurora event as one of dozens of vigils and actions planned at medical centers nationwide this week.
How to get there
Drivers will likely roll in via East Colfax Avenue or Interstate 225, where several nearby parking lots and street spaces could be available but may fill up as the vigil start time approaches. For those on transit, the R Line’s Colfax Station is a short walk from the intersection, and RTD bus routes 10, 15, 15L, 20, and the FF5 all serve the area, as Westword reports. Organizers suggest allowing extra time for walking in cold weather.
Background
Pretti, 37, was identified by family members as an intensive‑care nurse at the Minneapolis VA who was killed during a federal immigration operation on Jan. 24. Federal officials have said officers opened fire after an individual allegedly approached with a 9mm handgun, but bystander video and reporting show Pretti holding a phone and being restrained by agents before he was shot, according to AP. Fact‑checks have since flagged major discrepancies between administration statements and what the footage appears to show, per PolitiFact.
Investigation and legal status
State investigators moved quickly to seek court oversight after federal authorities limited access to the shooting scene. A federal judge issued a temporary order barring the destruction or alteration of any evidence related to the killing, the state said in filings that courts later confirmed, according to CBS Minnesota. Minnesota prosecutors and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension say they intend to keep pressing for transparency as parallel federal and state inquiries move forward.
Before you go
Organizers are asking attendees to bring electric candles or flashlights, since open flames are not allowed on site. Electric candles will also be available while supplies last, according to National Nurses United. The union is framing the actions as a chance to “collectively mourn and strengthen ourselves to take on another day.”
Why it matters
The Aurora gathering is one local piece of a much larger wave of nurse‑led vigils and actions sparked by Pretti’s death and by earlier confrontations between federal agents and protesters. Social‑media fliers have circulated calling for a nationwide nurses’ action on Friday, Jan. 30, though Westword notes that no major union had claimed responsibility for that date as of its reporting.
