A number of prominent US sports stars have condemned the killing of a registered nurse, Alex Pretti, by federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday.
Pretti, 37, is the second person shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis in less than three weeks as protests over Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown sweep the city. Senior Trump administration officials have claimed Pretti intended to “massacre” federal officers with a handgun but video of the killing appears to contradict those claims.
Two-time NBA All-star Tyrese Haliburton, one of the best young players in the league, posted about the killing on Saturday. “Alex Pretti was murdered,” the Indiana Pacers guard wrote. Another basketball star, Angel Reese, posted “Praying for our country” on X.
NFL stars also reacted to the shooting. Former Steelers safety Ryan Clark, who won a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh and is now a broadcaster, paid tribute to Pretti on X. “Rest Easy Alex Pretti. Bro was a hero. Prayers to his family & loved ones. Senseless death… AGAIN!!” Clark wrote.
Dwight McGlothern Jr, a cornerback for Minneapolis’s NFL team, the Minnesota Vikings, has regularly posted on the recent unrest and did so again on Saturday. “It’s not right what’s happening in Minnesota,” he wrote.
NFL hall of famer Alan Page, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Trump in 2018, appears to have been protesting against the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis this week. Images circulating on social media show the 80-year-old, who spent much of his career with the Vikings, among protesters.
Saturday’s NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors was postponed after Pretti’s killing. The Timberwolves play less than two miles from the scene of the shooting and the NBA said it made the decision to “prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community”.
NBA figures also spoke out after federal officers shot and killed another US citizen, Renee Good, earlier this month.
“It’s shameful, really, that in our country we can have law enforcement officers who commit murder and seemingly get away with it,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after Good’s death.
Pretti’s parents have said they are “heartbroken but also very angry” after their son’s death.
“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 said. “He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper-sprayed.”
