Alex Pretti was a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, who was fatally shot by a Border Patrol officer on Saturday morning, January 24, 2026, because he was filming a CBP officer during an ICE protest. A federal officer shoved a bystander across the street as Pretti was attempting to help the person. The situation proceeded to escalate, and an officer shouted that Pretti had a gun—a licensed gun that he was legally allowed to possess in an open carry state. Video evidence showed that the weapon was removed from his waist before shots were fired. Pretti was then attacked by an agent who pepper-sprayed him seconds before being shot 10 times. He was pronounced dead at 9:32 a.m.
The Trump administration responded to the killing of Alex Pretti with unsupported evidence that conflicted with the video footage. The administration justified federal law enforcement agent actions, claiming Pretti assaulted officers at the scene and threatened to harm law enforcement. “What the videos depict is that this guy did not walk up to anybody from CBP in a threatening manner,” said former acting DHS undersecretary for intelligence John Cohen, a police trainer and ABC News contributor. Cohen also mentioned Pretti was “brandishing” a gun. White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller, referred to Pretti as “an assassin” who “tried to murder federal agents,” and “looks like,” Pretti “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”
In a public statement released to the Associated Press, Pretti’s parents responded to the administration’s claims, stating they are “reprehensible and disgusting.” Many of his colleagues and friends spoke on his behalf, claiming that he is remembered as a kind, warm-hearted person with a great attitude. Alongside making several donations through the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue, he served others in the ICU, working as an intensive-care nurse serving in a VA facility, providing care for the critically ill.The president of the Minnesota Organization of Registered Nurses, Cami Peterson-DeVries, wrote that the nursing community was grieving. “This message is not about politics,” she wrote, “It is about mourning a life taken too soon and honoring the calling we all share.”
