A man who was shot dead by federal agents during an immigration raid in Minneapolis on Saturday has been identified as 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti.
Pretti’s shooting is another knock to a community already grieving Renee Good, who was shot dead in her car by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents earlier this month.
Much like the Renee Good, Alex Pretti’s shooting was justified on the grounds that he was a “domestic terrorist” and a “would-be assassin” by White House officials.
The senior ICE official in charge of the raid, Gregory Bovino, went on to say that the federal agents who shot him were “the real victims”.
What happened to Alex Pretti?
The Department of Homeland Security claimed that Pretti was shot dead after he attacked agents on an immigration raid in Minneapolis while carrying a handgun.
Kristi Noem, Homeland Security Secretary, said: “An individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a nine-millimetre semi-automatic handgun. The officers attempted to disarm this individual, but the armed suspect reacted violently.”
“He wasn’t there to peacefully protest. He was there to perpetuate violence,” she said.
However, footage of the incident contradicts Noem’s claims. In videos, Pretti can be seen interacting with agents holding a phone in one hand and nothing in the other.
Footage then appears to show two people interacting with an agent, who subsequently pushes them. Pretti then steps between the people and the agent and is pepper-sprayed. He is then wrestled to the ground by a number of agents and seen on his knees, bent over, with his hands on the floor. One agent repeatedly strikes in the direction of his head.
An agent then takes a handgun out of Pretti’s waistband – which is legal to carry in Minnesota with a valid permit – and shoots at Pretti. According to the footage, ten shots were fired in five seconds. None of the footage shows Pretti holding a gun.
Who was Alex Pretti?
Alex Pretti, 37, was an intensive care nurse, described by family members as compassionate and dedicated. He was described as an avid outdoorsman who loved mountain biking. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, society, and the environment.
He went on to work as a research scientist before retraining as a registered nurse. At the time of his death, Pretti was working as an intensive care nurse at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Pretti’s family said that in the weeks leading up to his death, he had been angered by Trump’s ongoing crackdown on immigrant communities.
Pretti's parents said they had warned their son to be careful while protesting.
As of Saturday evening, Pretti’s family said they still had not been contacted by anyone from ICE about the killing of their son.
‘Please get the truth out about our son’, Pretti’s family urge
Since his death and the subsequent allegations made about him, Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that Pretti was a lawful gun owner with no criminal record other than traffic violations, CBS reported.
After allegations were made about Pretti being a “domestic terrorist”, his family has issued a statement saying "the sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting".
They urged, "Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man."
