The parents of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse killed during a confrontation with federal immigration agents in Minneapolis last month, are publicly speaking out for the first time, saying their son’s death was unnecessary and deeply mischaracterized.
In an interview with The New York Times, Michael and Susan Pretti described their son as compassionate and driven by a desire to help others. They said there was “no reason” he should have lost his life on Jan. 24, the day he was fatally shot while attempting to assist a woman who had been pushed to the ground during a federal immigration enforcement operation.
According to accounts of the incident, Pretti was present during a large-scale immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Video footage that later circulated online shows him recording federal agents and moving to help a woman after a Customs and Border Protection officer forced her to the pavement. Agents then surrounded Pretti, disarmed him and fired multiple shots. He later died at a hospital from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office.
His parents said their son had previously voiced frustration about immigration enforcement actions he believed were unjust. They recalled conversations in which he expressed concern about families being separated and questioned why people would treat one another that way. They believe his actions that day were consistent with his character.
“His last act on this earth was to help someone,” his father said in the interview, describing him as kind and principled.
The shooting sparked widespread public reaction and protests across the country. The Pretti family said they have received hundreds of messages of support. A Quinnipiac University poll conducted after the incident found that a majority of voters surveyed believed the use of lethal force was not justified.
The case has also reverberated in Washington. Some Democratic lawmakers have stated they would not back certain Department of Homeland Security funding measures in light of the Minneapolis deaths, which also included another fatal encounter earlier in the month.
Federal officials, however, have defended the agents involved. The Department of Homeland Security referred to Pretti as a “domestic terrorist” and said officers believed he posed a threat. FBI Director Kash Patel, whose agency is leading the investigation, emphasized that bringing a loaded firearm to a protest is unlawful. President Trump echoed that sentiment, stating that firearms cannot be carried into such situations.
Pretti was a licensed gun owner, and under Minnesota law, individuals with permits are allowed to carry firearms at protests. His family said he never drew his weapon during the confrontation and strongly rejected claims that he endangered officers. They called the administration’s characterization of their son both false and harmful.
As investigations continue, the Prettis say they want their son remembered not for political rhetoric, but for the life he lived — one defined by care, service and compassion.
