Minneapolis Shooting: Family of Slain Man Speaks Out
Family members of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, the 37-year-old man killed by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis on Saturday, have come forward to share their story. According to his family, Pretti was an intensive care nurse at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital, who cared deeply about people and was upset by President Trump’s immigration crackdown in his city.
Pretti’s father, Michael Pretti, described his son as someone who “cared about people deeply” and was “very upset” with the current state of immigration policies in the United States. He had participated in protests after the killing of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs officer in Minneapolis on January 7. Pretti’s family said he had no criminal record and had never had any interactions with law enforcement beyond a handful of traffic tickets.
Who Was Alex Pretti?
Alex Pretti was a U.S. citizen, born in Illinois, and grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He played football, baseball, and ran track for Preble High School and was a Boy Scout and sang in the Green Bay Boys Choir. After graduating, he attended the University of Minnesota, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, society, and the environment. He worked as a research scientist before returning to school to become a registered nurse.
Pretti’s ex-wife, Rachel N. Canoun, described him as someone who felt strongly about social justice issues, including immigration. She said he was a Democratic voter and had participated in protests following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. Canoun also mentioned that Pretti had obtained a permit to carry a concealed firearm about three years ago and owned at least one semiautomatic handgun when they separated.
Circumstances Surrounding the Shooting
The Department of Homeland Security stated that Pretti was shot after he “approached” Border Patrol officers with a 9-millimeter semiautomatic handgun. However, bystander videos of the shooting do not appear to show Pretti with a visible weapon. Family members said Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Minnesota, but they had never known him to carry it.
Pretti’s family first learned of the shooting when they were contacted by an AP reporter. They watched the video and said the man killed appeared to be their son. They then tried reaching out to officials in Minnesota but were unable to get any information. Eventually, they contacted the Hennepin County medical examiner’s office, which confirmed that they had a body matching the name and description of their son.
Pretti’s neighbors described him as a quiet and warmhearted person who would often help those in need. They knew he had guns, but were surprised to hear that he might carry a pistol on the streets. Pretti lived alone and worked long hours as a nurse, but he was not a loner and would sometimes have friends over.
A Life of Compassion and Adventure
Pretti was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed going on adventures with his beloved Catahoula leopard dog, Joule, who recently passed away. He was a competitive bicycle racer and took great care of his new Audi. Pretti’s parents said their last conversation with their son was a couple of days before his death, and they talked about repairs he had done to the garage door of his home. He had given the Latino worker a $100 tip, showing his kindness and empathy towards others.
Pretti’s mother, Susan Pretti, said her son cared immensely about the direction the country was headed, especially the Trump administration’s rollback of environmental regulations. She described him as someone who “hated that people were just trashing the land” and loved the outdoors.
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