The parents of Alex Pretti have publicly shared their account of who their son was in the days leading up to his death during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis on January 24, presenting a narrative that sharply contrasts with statements issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Pretti, 37, was killed during an encounter with U.S. Border Patrol agents, an incident DHS characterized as a justified response to a dangerous situation involving an armed individual. His parents’ recollections, along with emerging video evidence and witness testimony, instead portray a peaceful civilian acting out of concern for others amid a chaotic scene.
According to DHS, the operation was a targeted effort to apprehend a suspect wanted for violent assault, and officials claimed that Pretti approached officers while carrying a handgun and violently resisted attempts to disarm him. DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that this resistance led to the officer firing his weapon. However, this official account has been increasingly questioned as multiple bystander videos surfaced showing Pretti holding what appears to be a phone rather than a firearm in the moments before he was shot. These recordings, along with eyewitness descriptions, challenge the claim that Pretti posed an immediate armed threat.
In interviews, Pretti’s parents, Michael and Susan, described their son as a dedicated ICU nurse who worked with military veterans and was deeply committed to helping others. They recalled speaking with him shortly before his death about mundane topics, such as fixing his garage door, and remembered how he tipped a repair worker generously out of empathy for the stress people were experiencing during heightened immigration enforcement actions. They acknowledged that Pretti planned to attend protests related to federal immigration activity and said they had explicitly urged him to remain cautious and avoid confrontation, advice he told them he understood.
After the shooting, the family struggled to obtain clear information from authorities and ultimately learned of their son’s death through the Hennepin County Medical Examiner. In a subsequent public statement, they rejected the DHS narrative, asserting that it did not align with the evidence available from videos and witnesses. They emphasized that Pretti was a kind and conscientious person, someone who believed in fairness and civic responsibility, and that portraying him as a violent aggressor misrepresented both his character and his actions that day.
Witness affidavits submitted to court add further detail to the events preceding the shooting. One witness reported that Pretti was helping direct traffic and filming the scene on his phone, raising his hands as agents used pepper spray and attempting to help a woman who had been pushed to the ground. Another witness, a licensed pediatrician, stated that after Pretti was shot, he tried to provide medical assistance but was initially blocked by agents who demanded credentials. When finally allowed to assess Pretti, the physician said he did not observe agents checking for a pulse or performing CPR before emergency responders arrived, prompting him to begin resuscitation efforts himself.
Authorities later confirmed that Pretti was struck by multiple gunshots fired in rapid succession, and investigations into the incident are ongoing. Throughout this process, Pretti’s parents have called for restraint in public commentary and urged that discussions be grounded in verified facts rather than assumptions. For them, the core issue is ensuring that Alex Pretti’s story is told accurately and responsibly, reflecting both the available evidence and the person he was—a man they say consistently showed up for others and sought to make a positive difference, even in moments of public tension and uncertainty.
