🚨 The Words That Will Break Your Heart Wide Open… Alex Pretti’s FINAL Nursing Student Just Spoke Out

She was the last person he ever mentored.

The last one he taught how to save lives in the ICU.

And now, she’s sharing the gut-wrenching truth about the man who was gunned down while trying to protect a stranger.

Full details:

A poignant letter from the nursing student who worked most recently under Alex Jeffrey Pretti has spread rapidly across social media, offering an intimate glimpse into the life and character of the 37-year-old ICU nurse fatally shot by a federal Border Patrol agent on January 24, 2026.

Jessica Hauser, who completed her capstone preceptorship under Pretti at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, described him as both a mentor and friend in a detailed tribute shared on platforms including LinkedIn, Reddit’s r/nursing forum, X, and Facebook. The post, which has garnered thousands of shares and emotional responses, highlights Pretti’s dedication to patient care, his calm presence under pressure, and the heartbreaking consistency between his professional life and his final moments.

“I was Alex Pretti’s final nursing student,” Hauser wrote. “He was my friend and my nursing mentor. For the past four months, I stood shoulder to shoulder with him during my capstone preceptorship at the Minneapolis VA Hospital. There he trained me to care for the sickest of the sick as an ICU nurse.”

She detailed the technical skills he imparted—managing arterial and central lines, handling complex IV setups, monitoring vital signs with precision—and emphasized the human element he brought to the role. “Alex carried patience, compassion and calm as a steady light within him,” she continued. “Even at the very end, that light was there. I recognized his familiar stillness and signature calm composure shining through during those unbearable final moments captured on camera.”

Eyewitness videos of the incident, which have circulated widely, appear to show Pretti subdued and on the ground before multiple shots were fired. Hauser referenced those clips directly, noting it came as no surprise to her that his last audible words were, “Are you okay?” She framed them as emblematic of a man whose core identity revolved around caring for others, even amid personal peril.

Pretti, a U.S. citizen and legal firearm owner according to family and friends, worked in the intensive care unit caring for veterans with critical conditions. Colleagues and nursing organizations have echoed Hauser’s portrayal, with the American Nurses Association issuing a statement expressing being “deeply disturbed” by his death and calling for a thorough investigation. Similar statements came from the Oregon Nurses Association and Washington State Nurses Association, condemning what they described as an unjust loss of a healthcare worker.

The tribute also touched on Pretti’s broader beliefs. “Alex believed strongly in the Second Amendment and in the rights rooted in our Constitution and its amendments,” Hauser wrote. “He spoke out for justice and peace whenever he could, not only out of obligation, but out of a belief that we are more connected than divided, and that communication would bring us together.”

She urged readers to honor him by practicing small acts of kindness—carrying black coffee and candy for long shifts, spending time in nature with a dog, engaging in civil dialogue across divides, and taking steps to heal the world. “I want his family to know his legacy lives on,” she concluded. “I am a better nurse because of the wisdom and skills he instilled in me. I carry his light with me into every room.”

The letter’s release comes as the investigation into Pretti’s death continues under federal oversight. Department of Homeland Security officials have maintained that the agent responded to a perceived threat during an immigration enforcement action, with Pretti reportedly armed and non-compliant. Bystander footage, however, has prompted disputes, showing Pretti holding a phone initially, being physically restrained, and his handgun removed before gunfire. No body camera footage has been publicly released.

Pretti’s family has denounced what they call “sickening lies” from federal sources about his actions, while urging transparency. Community vigils in south Minneapolis have drawn hundreds, with nurses and veterans paying respects. Protests focus on excessive force concerns in inland immigration operations, with some bipartisan figures calling for independent review.

Hauser’s words have resonated deeply within the nursing community, where Pretti was remembered as approachable and skilled. One colleague told media outlets he was the type to chat about mountain biking between patients, always positive. Another described him as a “good citizen” whose life was “just starting.”

As tributes accumulate—including from physicians, union members, and everyday citizens—the incident underscores tensions over federal authority, civilian rights, and law enforcement in polarized times. For Hauser and others Pretti mentored, the focus remains personal: a healer whose instinct to check on others persisted until the end.

In a profession defined by long hours and high stakes, Pretti embodied quiet strength. His student’s letter ensures that story endures, even as debates over how he died continue.