Minneapolis is reeling from the loss of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, who was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent on January 24, 2026. Pretti, remembered by colleagues as competent, kind, and reserved, dedicated his career to caring for critically ill veterans. An avid outdoorsman and competitive mountain biker, he lived a quiet life in the city, holding a permit to carry a firearm legally and maintaining no significant criminal history beyond minor traffic violations.

In the days leading up to the tragedy, Pretti shared an everyday update with his parents during a phone call from his Minneapolis home. He described hiring a Latino handyman to repair his garage door—a routine home maintenance task. Amid the tense atmosphere in the city, where immigration enforcement actions had heightened fears in immigrant communities, Pretti felt compelled to act with extra compassion. He paid the worker $100 beyond the agreed fee, a generous tip rooted in respect and concern for the man’s dignity during uncertain times. His parents later reflected that this small gesture revealed his instinctive kindness, always leaning toward protecting and uplifting others.

Not long after, Pretti sent a warm text to his mother: “I’ll come home to have dinner with everyone.” The message carried the promise of a simple family gathering, a return to normalcy after a day out. It would be his final words to her—ordinary, loving, and now unbearably poignant.

The shooting unfolded amid protests and confrontations involving federal agents. Witnesses and video footage indicate Pretti approached the scene holding his phone, apparently filming while attempting to assist someone being shoved by an agent. Authorities claimed he posed a threat with a handgun, but accounts describe a struggle during which he was pepper-sprayed and then shot multiple times at close range after being disarmed. His family has condemned the incident as unjust, emphasizing his history of peaceful activism, including participation in demonstrations following high-profile cases of violence involving law enforcement.

Pretti’s death has ignited vigils across the Twin Cities, with hundreds gathering to mourn a man seen as a caregiver and neighbor who always helped others. His parents, devastated yet outspoken, highlighted his gentle soul and the irony of his compassionate final acts contrasting sharply with the violence that ended his life. As investigations continue and public anger grows, Pretti’s story serves as a stark reminder of how quickly ordinary moments of kindness can precede unimaginable loss.