‘He wanted to help people’

Alex Good.Photo: Dimitri Drekonja

The Minnesota man killed by federal agents on Saturday was identified as 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a registered nurse who worked in the intensive care unit of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, which serves veterans.

This is the second fatal shooting this month in Minneapolis, Minnesota, along with another non-fatal shooting amid a massive crackdown by federal agents in Minnesota.

Pretti attended nursing school at the University of Minnesota, where she was also an assistant scientist, starting in 2012, according to her LinkedIn profile.

“He wanted to help people,” said Dimitri Drekonja, VA hospital chief of infectious diseases and a professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota who worked with Pretti at the hospital and on a research project. “He was a very good, very helpful man; he cared about his patients. I was surprised.”

He described Pretti as an “exceptional” nurse and hard-working person who was quick with a joke and had an “infectious” spirit. “He was a very good man,” Drekonja told the Guardian. “I love working with him.”

Alex’s father, Michael Pretti, echoed Drekonja’s assessment, describing his son to The Associated Press: “He’s upset, as are millions of people who care deeply about people and are very upset about what’s happening in Minneapolis and across the United States with ICE.”

“He felt that protesting was a way to express his concern for others,” the elder Pretti said.

Pretti’s father confirmed to the AP that his son attended protests following the killing of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer earlier this month.

Videos circulating online Saturday showed Pretti directing traffic and filming federal agents; His right hand is holding his phone while his left hand is empty. In another video, he is seen being wrestled to the ground by several law enforcement officers before appearing to be shot several times. At least two police officers appear to have their guns drawn. Other videos show Pretti coming to the defense of a legal observer who was pushed to the ground by a federal officer. The officer then sprays Pretti with chemicals repeatedly before throwing him into the street with other agents.

As at least five agents surround Pretti on the ground, one appears to shoot at him at close range, followed by more shots, after which his body remains motionless.

“From what I could see, he was trying to help push someone away, which is completely out of character for him,” Drekonja said.

In a statement Saturday evening, Pretti’s parents called on the media to “reveal the truth about our son.”

“We are heartbroken but also very angry,” Michael and Susan Pretti said in a statement read aloud on local news channel KARE 11. “Alex was a kind-hearted person who cared deeply about his family and friends, as well as the American veterans he cared for as a critical care nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital.

“Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact.”

Relating to: 37-year-old US citizen shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis

Police Chief Brian O’Hara later said at a news conference Saturday that Pretti’s only known interaction with law enforcement was for traffic tickets. O’Hara also stated that Pretti was “a legal gun owner with a permit to carry.”

Pretti’s parents, who live in Wisconsin, told the AP that in their last conversation with their son, they warned him to be careful during protests.

“We discussed this with him about two weeks ago, saying, you know, go ahead and protest, but don’t interfere, don’t do anything stupid,” Michael Pretti said. “And he said he knew that. He knew that.”

While Pretti was in nursing school, Drekonja recruited her to support a study to prevent C diff, a devastating bacterial infection. “He was instrumental in completing our case,” Drekonja said. “He was always asking the rest of the team what he could do. He was always trying to do whatever he could to make room for others.”

Pretti got his due nursing license It started operating in 2021 and remains active until 2026. 2016.

The Minnesota Organization of Registered Nurses (MNORN) released a statement Saturday afternoon regarding Pretti’s death: “Today, our nursing community mourns. We have lost a fellow registered nurse in an act of violence related to immigration enforcement. Regardless of where each of us stands on the issues surrounding this moment, we are deeply hurt by the loss of a nurse, a caregiver, a colleague, a human being.”

“This message is not about politics. It’s about mourning a life lost too soon and honoring the calling we all share. As nurses, we understand loss in a way that others may not. We know how quickly life can change, how fragile safety can be, and how pain reaches beyond an individual to families, co-workers, patients, and communities. When a nurse is lost, we all feel it.”

Dr. Aasma Shaukat said: Washington Post He recalled that he hired Pretti at the Minneapolis VA Healthcare System nearly a decade ago and that she was “the sweetest, kindest, gentlest soul you’ve ever met.”

“She had very bright eyes, bushy tails, she wanted to go into the healthcare field, work with patients and be a nurse,” she told the Post. “He did a great job. He did his job really well and was a team player.”

Shaukat also said that Pretti “was always on the side of people and human rights, helping citizens and being a good citizen of society and the communities in which he lived.” Of the videos circulating of the shooting, Shaukat told the newspaper: “This feels so wrong. From what I know of Alex, he was probably trying to protect, help or protect someone from agents. He didn’t have a bad bone in his body; he always talked about doing the right thing.”

Pretti loved mountain biking, and she and Drekonja were always talking about cycling together on the trails they both frequented.

“He found humor in life, and that’s the saddest thing about seeing that,” Drekonja said. “This is just a huge tragedy.”

Victoria Bekiempis contributed reporting