Alex Pretti's Father Gave a 5-Word Warning Weeks Before the Fatal ICE Incident – Family Speaks Out

What began as a moment of instinctive compassion during a protest quickly turned into tragedy. As tensions boiled over, a man stepped forward to help a woman in distress — a decision that cost him his life, igniting grief, anger, and urgent questions in the aftermath.

Alex Pretti, 37, was an ICU nurse who was shot at close range by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 24. Weeks before the tragedy occurred, his parents had given him a warning. They have now described the kind of man he was.

A Family's Uneasy Forewarning Ends in Tragedy

Alex's parents knew he was planning to protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minneapolis and had spoken with him about it beforehand.

His father, Michael Pretti, said he encouraged his son to go to the demonstration but urged him not to engage. He also cautioned his son, telling him, "Do not do anything stupid." Michael added that Alex assured him he understood the warning.

Footage Undermines DHS's Deadly Account

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Alex was shot after he "approached" Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. However, officials did not clarify whether he ever brandished the weapon.

Footage captured by bystanders shortly after the shooting contradicts what DHS said occurred. The bystander videos show Alex holding a phone, and none of the available clips appear to show him with a visible gun during the encounter.

No Criminal History, Licensed Gun Owner

Alex was a U.S. citizen born in Illinois and a registered nurse. Court records indicate he had no criminal history. His family said his only past contacts with law enforcement were a few traffic citations.

Family members acknowledged that Alex legally owned a handgun and held a permit to carry a concealed weapon in Minnesota. Still, they said they had never known him to carry it regularly.

Family's Heartbreaking Discovery

The Prettis first found out about Alex's shooting when an Associated Press reporter called them. After watching the video, they realized the man who had been killed looked like their son. They immediately began trying to contact officials in Minnesota for information.

Michael said they couldn't get any information from anybody. He explained that when they reached out, local police directed them to contact Border Patrol, but the office was closed. Calls to hospitals also failed to produce any answers.

With no clear direction, the family eventually contacted the Hennepin County Medical Examiner, who confirmed there was a body that matched their son's name and description.

By that evening, the Prettis said they still had not been contacted by any federal law enforcement agency about Alex's death.

Government Smears Trigger Family Fury

After seeing videos of senior officials from the DHS suggesting their son was a "domestic terrorist" who had attacked officers, the family released a written statement that expressed their pain and frustration.

They described themselves as both "heartbroken and angry" and condemned what they called deceptive accounts of the shooting. They urged people to help correct the record and show who Alex really was.

"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," they stated.

The family said Alex wanted to make a difference in the world, but he will not be alive to witness the impact he hoped to have. They explained that they do not use the word "hero" casually, but believe it applies in his case because his final thought and action were focused on protecting a woman.

"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," they noted.

The family explained that Alex was holding his phone in his right hand. Meanwhile, his empty left hand was raised above his head as he tried to shield the woman ICE had just pushed to the ground, all while being pepper-sprayed. "He was a good man," they concluded.

A Divorced Wife Remembers a Man of Conviction

Alex's former wife, who asked not to be identified, has also spoken out. She said she was not surprised that he had taken part in protests against Trump's immigration policies. She explained that they had not been in contact since their divorce more than two years earlier, after she relocated to another state.

The ex-wife said Alex was a Democratic voter and had joined the wave of street demonstrations that followed the 2020 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. This incident happened close to where they had lived.

She described him as someone who might raise his voice at the police during a protest, but said she had never known him to become physically aggressive.

The ex-wife also said Alex obtained a permit to carry a concealed weapon about three years earlier. The pair owned at least one semiautomatic handgun at the time they separated.

Top Official Defends the Kill Shot

State officials are now suing the federal government in an effort to gain access to investigate the shooting. However, Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino said that Second Amendment protections do not apply when federal officers believe they are being obstructed or assaulted.

Even so, Bovino did not provide any evidence that Alex had engaged in such behavior before he was shot and killed in Minneapolis. Bovino argued that constitutional gun rights are invalid in situations he described as riots or attacks on law enforcement.

"We respect that Second Amendment right, but those rights don't count when you riot and assault, delay, obstruct, and impede law enforcement officers and, most especially, when you mean to do that beforehand," he said.

Bovino said he supported peaceful armed protest and noted that he had taken part in it himself. Still, he said that support did not extend to situations in which people commit violence or obstruct, delay, or interfere with Border Patrol officers as they carry out their duties.

He did not point to any evidence that Alex had used violence or interfered with agents in those ways. Instead, he repeatedly presented Alex's presence at the scene as proof that he intended to do so.

The Boy Scout, Athlete, and Nurse

Outside the headlines, Alex had a pretty normal upbringing. He grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he was active in sports and community life. At Preble High School, he played football and baseball and competed in track.

He also participated in the Boy Scouts and was a member of the Green Bay Boy Choir. After finishing high school, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota, earning a bachelor's degree in biology, society, and the environment in 2011, according to his family.

Following graduation, he worked as a research scientist before returning to school to train as a registered nurse. Outside his professional life, Alex competed in bicycle racing and took particular pride in his Audi. He was also very close to his dog, which had died about a year before his own death.

Alex's Final Acts of Kindness Echo Loudly

Alex's parents recalled that their final conversation with him occurred a couple of days before he was killed, when they spoke about work he had done on his garage door. They said he had tipped the worker, a Latino man, $100 in light of all that was happening in Minneapolis.

His mother said he cared deeply about the direction the country was heading, especially the rollback of environmental regulations under the Trump administration.

She noted that as an outdoorsman who took his dog everywhere, Alex loved the country but was troubled by what he saw as harm being done to the land.

Neighbors Paint a Portrait of a Hero

Alex's neighbors have also shared information about the kind of person he was. He lived in a four-unit condominium about two miles from the site where he was shot. Neighbors described him as quiet, warmhearted, and helpful.

Sue Gitar, a neighbor who lived downstairs from Alex, said he had moved into the building about three years earlier. She added, "He's a wonderful person. He has a great heart."

Neighbors said he would step in whenever something suspicious occurred in the neighborhood or if there were concerns, such as a potential gas leak.

Although he lived alone and worked long hours as a nurse, Alex was not isolated. Neighbors noted that he occasionally had friends over and maintained connections with those around him.

They were aware that he owned firearms, including a rifle that he sometimes took to a shooting range. However, they were surprised that he carried a pistol in public. Sue noted, "I never thought of him as a person who carried a gun."

The shooting of Alex Pretti has clearly struck a deep chord with those who knew and loved him, and many are now watching closely to see whether a full investigation will be carried out into the tragic incident.