Alex Pretti fatally shot by federal officers in Minneapolis identified by his parents as an ICU nurse

MINNEAPOLIS — The man fatally shot by federal officers in Minneapolis on Saturday has been identified as Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse who served veterans, the Minnesota attorney general said in a statement.

The victim was shot just before 9 a.m. after a heated confrontation between agents and protesters who opposed the government’s immigration enforcement tactics, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at a news conference.

The Department of Homeland Security said on social media that the officers were conducting an operation when they were approached by an armed Minneapolis resident. The man was shot after violently resisting efforts to disarm him, DHS added, but no evidence was provided to back up this account.

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Though the details of what led to the shooting remain unclear, O’Hara said that local officials believe the man was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry. Family members told The Associated Press that Pretti owned a handgun and a concealed carry permit in Minnesota.

O’Hara said he believes more than one federal agent fired shots.

The killing comes less than three weeks after Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.

Family members said that Pretti participated in protests in response to Good’s death.

“He cared about people deeply, and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset,” his father, Michael Pretti, told the AP. “He felt that doing the protesting was a way to express that, you know, his care for others.”

In recent conversations, his parents recalled, they even warned Pretti to be careful about protesting.

“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,” Michael Pretti said. “And he said he knows that. He knew that.”

Pretti, who was born in Illinois, does not appear to have a serious criminal history, aside from two traffic violations. His family told the AP that before Saturday, Pretti had never had any interactions with law enforcement beyond the traffic tickets.

A LinkedIn profile that appears to be Pretti’s says that he attended the University of Minnesota. He graduated from Green Bay Preble High School in 2006, according to school district spokesperson Lori Blakeslee.

State records show that Pretti was registered as a nurse in Minnesota as of 2021. His license is set to expire on March 31, 2026.

Pretti worked at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and assisted with scientific research.

Jeanne Wiener, one of Pretti’s neighbors who has known him for about five years, described him as a “gentle, good person” who posed no threat to anyone.

“He would never, ever attack a police officer,” she said, adding that she was surprised to learn today that Pretti was a gun owner because he was so “gentle.”

Wiener added that while she did not know much about his personal life, she believed Pretti lived alone and had a dog. Family told the AP that his Catahoula leopard had recently died.

Matt Lavietes reported from Minneapolis and Pilar Melendez from New York City.