Alex Pretti's Veteran Patient, Ex‑Wife and Others Break Silence after Minneapolis Confrontation with Federal Agents

"I'm saddened. I'm saddened to the deepest part of my heart," a veteran said after recognizing a familiar face.

When the familiar face appeared on a local news broadcast, the Minneapolis veteran felt his stomach drop. It was the nurse who had stayed by his side through one of the longest nights of his life, the man who cracked jokes, eased his fear, and reassured his partner as machines beeped around him in an ICU room.

Now, the veteran is speaking out. So are others who knew the man in different corners of his life.

A former patient, a grieving ex-wife, and colleagues who once worked alongside Alex Pretti are sharing memories of the nurse they describe as compassionate, gentle, and quietly devoted to helping others. These reflections stand in stark contrast to the violent encounter that ended his life in Minneapolis.

Who the Veteran Patient Remembers

Sonny Fouts, 71, tells People that he met Pretti on January 12, 2026, at the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis, where Pretti worked as an ICU nurse.

Fouts, an Air Force veteran, had undergone a nine-hour descending aorta aneurysm repair and was admitted to intensive care, where Pretti cared for him overnight. During the surgery, Sonny's significant other, Kimberly Fouts, waited in the family room from 6 a.m. until 5 p.m., when she was finally told she could visit.

"I walked in, and Sonny's just hooked up to so many machines and needles and tubes, and Alex was his nurse, and he just lightened the situation," Fouts's significant other recalls. "There are nurses who come in and don't really say anything, and Alex was not like that. I appreciated that I immediately felt comfortable with him. And I felt that Sonny was in good hands."

Fouts, a retired musician who played saxophone and guitar and was a singer-songwriter, says the deceased nurse made a terrifying moment more bearable.

"I do remember how he comforted me, helped me, did his job," the veteran adds. "He made me feel as comfortable as possible. He made me laugh a few times — and I certainly didn't feel like laughing."

Fouts also noticed the care Pretti showed him, while appreciating the comfort and care the deceased nurse provided to his significant other, too.

When Sonny Recognizes Alex

The couple recognized Pretti's face when they saw him on the news on Saturday, January 24, 2026.

Pretti had been fatally shot by federal officers in Minneapolis. "It's very sad. I hate it," Fouts says of Pretti's death. "I'm not a Democrat. I'm not a Republican. But what the [expletive] going on in this city of ours?"

Since learning what happened, Sonny says he has struggled physically and emotionally. The veteran tells People he's had headaches and stomach aches, as well as trouble sleeping.

"I don't like looking at the TV about it. I don't want to read any newspaper stories," he says. "I don't use the word 'hero,' but I guess I could say that." Without Pretti and the care he received that night, Fouts believes his outcome could have been very different. "I might not have been here," he says.

A Colleague's Shock

The outlet also spoke with Dr. Shaukat, who hired the deceased as a research assistant in 2014, worked with him until 2020, and wrote his recommendation for nursing school.

She says she was "absolutely shocked" by the news of his death, adding:

"I'm just so aghast that he got caught up in all of this. He was not a troublemaker. He did not have crazy extreme views, at least that he expressed to us. He just was a good citizen and he cared for his fellow citizens. The fact that got him beaten and killed is just devastating."

Shaukat remembers Pretti as being "just a joy" to work with.

"He was just a really sweet person that you could just talk to. No pretense. No complicated factors. Just who he was is how he came across," she tells the outlet. "He was very supportive if you ever needed him to do something — you never had to think twice."

For Fouts, the memory that lingers is not of flashing lights or breaking-news headlines, but of a nurse standing at his bedside, speaking softly, cracking jokes, and trying to make a long night feel less frightening.

What His Ex-Wife Says

Pretti's ex-wife, who spoke to another news outlet and later said she did not want her name used, said she was not surprised he would have been involved in protesting President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

She said she had moved to another state after their divorce two years ago, adding that she had not spoken to her ex-husband since the divorce.

She told AP News that Alex was a Democratic voter and had participated in street protests following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020, near where the couple once lived.

She described him as someone who might shout at law enforcement officers at a protest, but said she had never known him to be physically confrontational.

She also said Pretti obtained a permit to carry a concealed firearm about three years ago and owned at least one semiautomatic handgun when they separated.

His Final Conversation with His Parents

Pretti’s parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, told AP Newsthat their last conversation with their son happened a couple of days before his death.

They spoke about the repairs he had recently completed to his home's garage door. The worker who did the job was a Latino man, and Alex's parents said that with everything happening in Minneapolis, their son gave the man a $100 tip.

Others remember a man who showed up in small, ordinary ways, helping with a home repair, tipping a worker generously, offering support to colleagues, and caring for strangers as if they were family. As investigations continue and public debates rage, the people who knew Pretti say they hope he is not defined by the moment he died, but by the life he lived.

As patients, colleagues, and those who knew Pretti personally continue to share memories of the nurse's compassion and character, the reaction to his killing has now reached the national stage, with prominent political leaders and Pretti's own family speaking out.

In a rare and sharply-worded public statement, former U.S. President Barack Obama has condemned the killing of Pretti — a U.S. citizen shot by a federal agent in Minneapolis — and laid the blame squarely on the Trump administration's handling of federal law enforcement.

Obama Lashes Out at Federal Agents over 'Heartbreaking Tragedy'

Calling the incident "a heartbreaking tragedy," Obama warned that it should serve as a wake-up call to all Americans, regardless of political affiliation, highlighting that core national values are increasingly "under assault." The remarks, made on January 25, 2026, marked one of Obama's most overt criticisms of a sitting president since leaving office.

"Administration officials seem eager to escalate the situation," Obama said, referencing the chaos that erupted in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of both Pretti and Renee Good.

He accused federal agents of deploying "unprecedented tactics" meant to intimidate and harass citizens — tactics he said have now led to avoidable deaths. For weeks, growing outrage has surged nationwide following footage of masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recruits and other agents operating aggressively in U.S. neighborhoods.

Obama echoed that sentiment, denouncing the federal agents' conduct as "embarrassing, lawless and cruel," even quoting a former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) top lawyer who had used those exact words to criticize such practices.

He went further, accusing the current administration of issuing "public explanations for the shootings of Mr. Pretti and Renee Good that aren't informed by any serious investigation — and that appear to be directly contradicted by video evidence."

Mounting Fury and Plea for Peace

In a plea for de-escalation, Obama urged officials to work constructively with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and local law enforcement to avoid further violence and restore accountability.

"This has to stop," he asserted, warning that without action, more American lives could be put at risk.

The former president concluded his statement by expressing support for peaceful protests across the country, dubbing them a "timely reminder" of the public's power to challenge injustice and demand transparency and accountability from their government.

Family of Slain Nurse Speaks Out

While former President Obama's remarks amplified growing national outrage over the killing, it is the voice of Pretti's heartbroken family that has added a profoundly human dimension to the tragedy.

In their first public statement since the on-camera shooting, the family of the late 37-year-old ICU nurse described themselves as both "heartbroken and angry," condemning what they called a campaign of misinformation surrounding his death.

"The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting," they said. "Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump's murdering and cowardly ICE thugs." Pretti was killed during an ICE operation in Minneapolis, where he had reportedly joined a protest against ICE's presence.

Caught on Camera: Harrowing Final Moments Captured in Graphic Footage

Footage from the scene shows Pretti attempting to shield a woman who had been shoved to the ground by officers. With his phone in hand and his left arm raised in what appears to be a protective gesture, Pretti was then forcibly separated from the woman, pepper-sprayed, and ultimately subdued by six agents.

The graphic video depicts Pretti struggling on all fours under the weight of several officers. One ICE agent is then seen reaching for his holstered firearm. Moments later, a barrage of gunfire erupts — killing him instantly.

Family Honors a Life of Service and Sacrifice

Pretti's family painted a portrait of a devoted son, friend, and public servant who had committed his life to helping others.

"Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital," the statement reads.

Calling him a "hero," the family insisted that his final moments embodied the values he lived by. "Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the hero term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman."

While the DHS claimed that Pretti was armed with a nine mm handgun and that agents fired in self-defense, his family adamantly rejected that account, calling it a distortion of the truth.

"He has his phone in his right hand and [SIC] his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down — all while being pepper-sprayed," they clarified.

Demanding accountability and public awareness, the family closed their statement with an emotional plea, "Please get the truth out about our son." They emphasized that above all, he was a "good man."

As calls for justice and transparency intensify, the death of Pretti has become more than a tragic moment — it has become a rallying cry against the unchecked use of force, and a solemn reminder of the lives lost in its wake.

For now, the people who knew Alex Pretti say they are holding onto the version of him they loved — a gentle nurse, a supportive colleague, a devoted son, and a man who stepped in to help when others were in need.

At this time, we wish to extend our most heartfelt condolences to Pretti's entire family, all his loved ones, friends, and community as they mourn such a significant loss. We hope for their healing amid their grief. RIP, dear Pretti.