A man shot and killed by U.S. Border Patrol in Minneapolis on Saturday has been identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse from a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. The Colorado Public Radio reported that Pretti, a U.S. citizen born in Illinois, had recently participated in protests opposing President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
Pretti's death has left his family, including his Colorado-based parents, struggling to find answers. Michael Pretti, Alex's father, told the Colorado Sun, "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." The Pretti family was notified of the incident by a reporter, rather than by federal law enforcement agencies, and has since struggled to obtain information from Minnesota officials.
The Department of Homeland Security claims Pretti was shot after "approaching" Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, though they did not indicate if the weapon was brandished. Bystander videos did not show Pretti holding a weapon; he appeared to be holding a cellphone. According to a CBS Austin report, Pretti's family confirmed he owned a handgun and had a permit to carry in Minnesota, but they had never known him to carry it publicly.
Pretti, who was passionate about the outdoors, graduated from the University of Minnesota and was an avid bicycle racer and outdoorsman. After the separation from his wife more than two years ago, Pretti lived alone and maintained a quiet, helpful presence among his neighbors, who were surprised at the suggestion that he carried a handgun in public. "He’s a wonderful person," said Sue Gitar, a neighbor, "He has a great heart," stating to the Colorado Public Radio.
In the wake of conflicting reports, Pretti's parents have expressed their distress. They were especially perturbed after videos surfaced with top Trump administration officials labeling their son as a "domestic terrorist." In a poignant denial, the family released a statement saying, "The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs," as they told the Colorado Sun.
The family confirmed Pretti's identity with the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office, and they remembered Pretti as someone who cared immensely about the direction of the country, his advocacy fueled by deep concerns about environmental regulation rollbacks and immigration enforcement. "He loved this country," his mother, Susan Pretti, told Colorado Public Radio, "but he hated what people were doing to it." The Pretti family's quest for clarity continues amid their public plea for truthful representation of their son's character and cause.
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